Good Parenting
by Wolfborg007
Summary: Being the children of a traitor isn't always easy, but then again you can't choose your family. Yet, sometimes you can make something of it. Rated T for safety. Post-Avengers.
1. The Great Imitators

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own the Avengers, Norse Mythology, or any of the characters in between… I just don't.

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Prologue: The Great Imitators**_

"_Children are great imitators. _

_So give them something great to imitate." _

_~ Anonymous_

~O~O~O~O~O~  
"Can thou believe what they did to Mommy? It's not fair!"

Tears poured down the young face as he glanced around the room through red-rimmed eyes. In another corner, one of his brothers pounded his fists against the wall, sending sounds of echoed frustration all through the darkness.

Looking down at their youngest sibling; the daughter, opened her arms to him.

He ran into them, wrapping trembling limbs around her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder.

"We know, dear one… All of us are frustrated." Her voice was a comfort, though soft sniffling still settled amongst them.

"You keep telling us to wait… yet I don't believe that it does us any good! We should take action! A few slit throats never hurt anyone!" The voice from the corner snarled, yellow eyes gleaming with anger, as he gave another fierce, metal-denting punch to the wall.

"Don't be so rash, brother… Thou art being hasty with thy tongue again." The sister chastised, "We should talk to Father before making any decisions on our own."

Glowing, yellow eyes made their way over to the deep, purple ones.  
"But I am the eldest! All of you should listen to me, otherwise nothing will get done in this pity-council!" he roared, "Don't speak sense and compassion, Hela! I don't want to hear it! Though Odin knows you'll have none of my words!"

In her embrace, the young boy turned around to look at her; his eyes pleading even more than his words.

"Yeah Hela… what _should _we do? I don't want Mommy to cry anymore!" the little one insisted.

The girl gave a sigh, glancing around at her siblings.

"I don't know if Father would approve." She answered, her voice trembling, "And if Uncle Thor finds out… Well, I'm sure you don't want _him_ holding you by the throat, Fenny!"

The being gave a roll of its yellow eyes.

"Oh _please_… Uncle Thor _loves _us. He's the _cool _one. Dad makes us read _books_…" Fenny answered with a snort, "Besides, I know you love bloodshed as much as I do!"

Hela glared at him, standing up and releasing her younger sibling. He wasn't wrong, yet she knew the responsibilities placed upon her by the All-father.

"Sleippy, what do you think we should do?" she asked, her eyes softening.

The younger sniffled, wiping his eyes on his sister's tunic.

"I-I just don't want Mommy to cry anymore! He already said he's sorry! They should let him go!" Sleippy cried, "Perhaps we can get Mommy a present! Something shiny!"

The daughter gave a sigh.

"Well, if we bring Jorry with us, a little field trip can't hurt." Hela reasoned, "But we'll be going in _disguise_."

She shot her older brother a warning glare.

"No use causing those Midgardians any problems."

Fenny gave a roll of his eyes.

"Fine, fine… Let's just get down there and see what we can do… though, if anything happens, I can't guarantee the lack of bloodshed."

The brother's lips curled into a fanged smirk.

Hela rolled her eyes. There was just no helping it.

"Come on, Sleipnir. Get ready." She said, giving her brother a nudge, "We'll plan on leaving tonight."

The youngest lit up with excitement, tears dried from his eyes as he stood up and bouncing around with the loud clopping of hooves.

"Okay!"

The older siblings watched as their younger brother sprang up the stairs, towards their grandfather's throne room. It was the first step of the journey they were going to make; travels to scope out strangers who were blissfully unaware of their arrival.

((_**A/N:**_ I hope you enjoyed it so far! Please read and review so I know your opinions! Thanks for reading! :D ))

_**Historical/Mythological background: **_

For those of you who haven't read the mythology/the comics, Loki fathered several children, including Fenrir the Wolf, Jormungand the Serpent (also known as the Midgard Serpent), and Hela the ruler of the realms Hel and Niflheim.

Sleipnir, the youngest, was birthed by Loki himself. In order to save one of Asgard's most beautiful maidens from an unwanted marriage with a rock giant, Loki changed himself into a beautiful mare in order to distract the giant's horse and throw off the bargin. After "dealings" with the horse, Loki returned with Sleipnir. This is the reason that he'll refer to Loki as "Mommy", rather than "Father", like the other children. Just so there isn't any confusion. ^^;


	2. The Deeds of Children

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 2: The Deeds of Children**_

"_The deeds of the children are a testament to the _

_upbringing they received from their parents."_

_~ Christopher Paolini_

~O~O~O~O~O~

"Watch thyself younger brother! Remember… one foot in front of the other!"

Hela walked, her arm firmly about the waist of the young boy next to her. His legs trembled, and he nearly fell twice, but despite his obvious difficulties, she had a hard time holding back her laughter.

"I'm sorry, dear one, but I must admit… Seeing the great steed, Sleipnir having problems walking is quite amusing."

The boy shot her a pout, but she only returned it with a smile.

"Are you sure you're up for this trip?" she asked, "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

Sleipnir gave an insistent shake of his head.

"No! I want to help make Mommy happy!"

Looking at the boy's expression, she knew nothing would change his mind. She adjusted her arm around him. The once great, grey steed of Odin was now a little boy with ash-colored hair, peppered with black; though his green eyes shone with the same, childish awe that they always did.

Even Hela modified her appearance to hide the bony, decaying flesh that usually hung from her features.

Passing a mirror, she took a sideways glance, sneering as her own eyes took in her features.

"Ugh… I look _hideous_!" she hissed, touching her clear, smooth skin.

Sleipnir, oblivious to the teenage disapproval of her sister and her appearance, only gave a wide grin.

"I think you look really pretty, Hela."

She looked down, managing her own smile, though it rapidly disappeared when the sound of loud footsteps caught their attentions.

"Hey! Lookin' good, sis!" A voice called to them, followed by a loud laugh.

Hela held back an audible groan.

"I see not what you mean…" she muttered irritably, "So thou should shut his tongue and keep quiet! The last thing we need is you messing everything up, Fenny!"

Fenny grinned.

"Ah, there's no need for such an expression. Remember what Grandpa Odin always says! If thou makest those expressions, your features shall remain as such!" the older teased.

Sleipnir gasped.

"Dost thou really mean it? Is it true?"

The boy looked horrified as he looked between his siblings for an answer.

Fenny laughed.

"I don't know… but perhaps one day you'll find out, brother!"

Hela slapped his arm, though she looked down at Sleipnir.

"Don't worry yourself with his lies, dear one." She comforted, "They are but stories."

The eldest scoffed, and continued walking alongside them. With every step they took, Fenrir's grin grew wider.

"I feel the adrenaline pumping through my lifeblood, sister! I can almost _taste _the fear of those mortals!" he exclaimed, still walking on.

Hela looked at him.

"I swear, I'll have _none _of that! We need not to cause more problems for our dear father!" She protested, "_Promise _me that you'll leave the humans' blood unspilled."

"But as the eldest, I-"

"_Promise _me!"

Her purple gaze faded to an intense red as her anger rose. The lives of the Midgardians wasn't something she was about to fool around with. She waited until he backed off, settling back with a disappointed look.

"F-fine…" he muttered, "Let's just get down there…"

Hela nodded, satisfied.

"All right, we should speak with the All-father first before we make our way to the Bifröst."

The bridge was still regenerating itself, and though there was still a large gap, with a good pair of legs (or eight, rather), one could make the jump through the portal necessary to travel to the various realms.

"You're strong enough to make it, right, Sleippy?" Hela asked.

Sleipnir gave a nod.

"Mmhmm! Of course! It'll be a piece of cake!"

Hela smiled.

"Good. Then we only need to get permission from the All-father, get Jorry, have Heimdall direct the bridge, and we get to Midgard!"

She repeated it in her head for a moment, just to remind herself on the various things she needed to do. All too often, she felt like the one who kept everything in line.

Though, she paused for a moment, as the door to Odin's throne room came into view. Mentally, she prepared herself for the adjudicative glances awaiting her and her siblings.

Taking a deep breath, she glanced between them and continued walking. As they entered the large, gathering room, all eyes were upon them in an instant.

They passed the other deities, eyes pinned to the floor, as they felt the disappointment follow them in waves.

"Come on, just keep walking." Hela urged, pushing her siblings on.

All of them knew their shame… the sons and daughter of Loki: God of Mischief and Lies; the one who nearly destroyed Asgard, who single-handedly brought the Frost Giants into their realm, and caused more than enough troubles in Midgard.

Oh yes… they understood _very _well that they were the children of a failure.

They walked in the direction of the great Bifröst, though, standing in their way, were three men and a woman; familiar faces to the three children. They were their Uncle's friends; the most loyal of Odin's warriors.

"Where do you think _you're _going?" A large, bearded man asked, his brown eyes gleaming.

They looked up, though, before Hela had a chance to open her mouth and answer, Sleipnir lit up.

"We were going to visit Uncle Thor down on Midgard!" he chirped, "We haven't seen him in an _eternity_!"

Skeptical glances were cast all around and the usual muttering started. Each of the children were used to this... from their beginnings, the God of Mischief's children were never free from the gazes of their fellow deities. Only their family looked upon them with any love, but they'd take it; or at least, Sleipnir would.

The youngest, being sheltered and treasured as the greatest horse in all of Asgard, he was Odin's prized steed, so he lived with pride and a reason to hold his head high. Though it always puzzled his siblings why he always chose to stand next to them and hold his gaze downcast along with the rest of them.

Hela tightened the arm she held around her brother, pulling him close as the Warriors 3 continued their cynical interrogation.

"Why should we trust you, sons and daughters of the great trickster?"

The golden-haired one spoke next, his hand firmly planted on the hilt of his sword.

"With such disguises as well. It seems as though these children have inherited their father's silver tongue." He commented.

Fenny bared his teeth, hunching his shoulders as he took a step forward.

"And what if we _did?_" The wolf challenged, his eyes glowing red with anger, "Even a silver tongue can taste the blood of their opponents."

The warrior smirked.

"Is that a _challenge_, Lokison?" he retorted.

Just as fur began to sprout from her brother's skin, Hela past her arm in between them; trying to settle the tension that was rapidly filling the air.

"I don't believe that our father's sins have anything to do with us. We go to visit our Uncle in Midgard. Surely our duties given to us by the All-father have been _more _than enough to pay for our peaceful passage." Hela stated, "But we haven't come to shed blood, but rather speak with our Grandfather. Surely there's nothing wrong with that."

The warriors watched them, doubt filling their noble eyes, as their gaze drifted to their ruler.

Odin sat at the head of the room, his gaze peering through the parting crowd.

"Step forward, children." He said, motioning weakly.

Hela looked at her brothers, pushing them forward, as they then found their places, kneeling at his feet.

"What is this, I hear? You want to go to Midgard?" Odin inquired, "What business have you there?"

He looked at each one of the children individually, judging their trembling forms.

"Fenrir? Hela?" he asked, looking at the eldest children first.

Fenrir hesitated, growing uneasy under the great, All-father's stare. Even Hela felt her eyes go downcast.

Sleipnir, however, stood up, and with wide eyes, he threw his arms around the great, All-father's neck. The Warriors were quick to unsheathe their weapons, but Odin held up a gentle hand to calm them. He could give his grandson the proper chance to speak.

"Oh, _please _Grandpa! _Please oh please! _Just this once! I've never been there and Uncle Thor says it's _awesome_, and there are buildings that almost reach the heavens, and people travel without the use of horses! Without _horses_ Grandpa! Can you _believe _it?" he ranted excitedly, only pausing to take a deep breath, "So can we _please_ go? I'll be good, I swear! Thou trusts me, right? I mean, I go on trips with you all the time!"

The boy looked up with pleading, green eyes and the biggest smile his jaw would allow him.

Odin remained quiet for a moment, before breaking into a grin.

"Ah, my dear boy and trusted steed… You know I could never say no to that face." He chuckled heartily, wrapping his arms around his grandson, "I suppose one trip wouldn't hurt."

Sleipnir nuzzled Odin's face affectionately.

"Oh! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" he cheered, nearly bouncing with excitement.

So much so, that he lost control over his human form, and transformed into the large, eight-legged horse he was born to be.

Odin gave a throaty gurgle from underneath his large body.

"Sl-Sleipnir… Grandpa…can't _breathe_!"

The horse instantly looked down, shifting awkwardly off the Norse God's lap.

"Sorry, Grandpa." The boy apologized, drawing imaginary circles in the marble with one of his fore-hooves.

Odin looked at the other two, taking in their genuflecting forms with wisdom of the ages.

"Stand up, you two." He commanded, watching as Hela and Fenrir did as they were told.

"You take care of him, understand?" Odin commanded, "If _anything _happens to thy younger brother, of my loyal steed, great punishments shall be suffered." He growled. Sleipnir he trusted, but these two, along with their other brother… they had always been full of their father's genetics: The love for mischief, of magic, and of lies. It was only through Loki's pleading and Sleipnir's innocence, that Odin gave them a chance.

The pair looked at their younger brother, shocked. Only Sleipnir could get away with such actions, but it worked towards their advantage. They'd accept their victory and move on.

The dark-haired woman stepped forward.

"Are thou sure, your greatness?" she asked, blue eyes widened with concern.

Odin took a deep breath.

"I trust my grandchildren." He stated simply, "I only wish I could give my _son_ that kind of trust."

A regretful silence settled over them, filling the air as though it were an organic beast, burying itself into even the strongest wills of the room.

Sleipnir returned to his boyish form, looking up at Hela, then at Fenrir.

Whenever their father was mentioned, it had the certain air of a funeral and he didn't like it.

The boy tugged at his sister's sleeve.

"I-I wanna go." He mumbled.

She nodded, understanding the boy's discomfort.

On more than one occasion, Hela had tried to explain their father's wrongdoings; to explain why they were met with such cynicism and ridicule when speaking of their father with pride. Nevertheless, as hours were wasted, the colt wouldn't have any part of it.

She had eventually just given up, leaving time to be the teacher in her stead.

Glancing back to Odin, the young goddess wanted to address her grandfather, and ask him if they could take their leave. They had one more stop before the beginnings of their journey, and they wanted to make it as brief as possible.

Frigga, who sat at Odin's side, looked over at her grandchildren. Much preferring these forms to those they usually took. She'd be lying if she denied being frightened by them.

"You may go, children. I pray you be safe on this trip of yours." She said, her eyes shining with kindness.

They nodded politely, standing up and quickly heading to the door.

Out of the door, stood a part of the Bifröst, leading to Heimdall's observatory. They paused, looking at it.

Always breathtaking, the three gazed upon the shimmering, crystal bridge of legend.

"Come on, let's go retrieve Jormungand before he gets too involved with his books…" Fenrir muttered, quickening his pace down a large flight of spiral stairs.

Unlike the well-lit majority of Asgard, this stairway led to a pitch-black area of the main Kingdom.

All the children had their favorite places to hide from the judging gaze of the other Asgardians, and this was the favorite place of both their father and Jormungand; the second son.

Several stories down was a locked room; ornately decorated with serpents entwined in each other's bodies. Their tails closed between their jaws as they weaved in intricate patterns: The Forbidden Library.

The door was slightly ajar by millimeters, the lock already melted as it sat smoking and covered with green slime.

Hela and her brothers weren't exactly sure _what _was contained in their walls, but Jormungand did. Filled with spells that could make one do anything; bleed from the eyes, bark like a dog, anything that could come to the imagination, as long as one had talent and the right skills.

Stepping in, their shoes thumping against the marble flooring they couldn't see. A trail of lit candles was the only indication of his presence.

"Jorry? You in there?" Hela called, her purple eyes glowing dimly as she scanned the room for any sign of her brother.

Sleipnir trembled, moving closer to his sister, trying to conquer his fear of the dark.

"Come on snake-eyes, stop kidding around!" Fenrir barked, eyes narrowing as his eyes slowly adjusted; the yellow pupils reflecting the light from the candles.

They were answered only by silence for a few seconds, before a claw down descended upon the wolf's shoulder and he gave a yelp of surprise.

Turning around with a sharp snap of his jaws, the figure pulled back with a dark fit of laughter.

"Ugh… _there _you are Jorry. Now stop fooling around. We're going down to Midgard on important business." Hela muttered, hiding a smirk at Fenrir's embarrassment.

Serpent eyes shone through the dim lighting and he slithered into the light. His forked tongue flickering out of his lips.

"Midgard? Why there?" he questioned, shifting into a human form, "Why not just _read _about it?"

He shook his head, remembering whom he was talking to.

"Nevermind, what does thou want _me _to do?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We want you to come with us so we can go see the tall buildings!" Sleipnir piped up.

Jormungand eyed his younger brother.

"And you need me, _why?_ Honestly, I could be doing countless other things. I'm due for a trip to Jotunheim to gather more frost flowers." He muttered, looking displeased.

Sleipnir sniffled.

"B-but it won't be the _same _without you! _Please_!"

The Serpent gave a sigh, looking up at the ceiling.

"Honestly, I hadn't expected such an impromptu trip, but I suppose I could change my plans." He answered.

Sleipnir lit up, hugging his brother tightly.

"Thank you, brother! Thou art the greatest!"

Jormungand only gave a sigh.

"Yes, yes…" he answered, "Though, young one… hast thou come to terms with your heritage?"

Sleippy tilted his head to the side.

"What does thou mean?"

His green eyes showed his confusion.

"Don't worry about it. You'll figure it out eventually… when you're older." He answered calmly, "We all want 'Mommy' to find peace."

Sleipnir beamed, absolutely thrilled that his siblings were also thinking of Mommy.

The wolf looked around, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Are we going or what? This is taking _way _too long for my liking!" he snapped.

Hela sighed, shaking her head with disapproval, though she had to agree with him.

"Yes, let's get to the Bifröst before the time of Midgardian nightfall." She said, urging them out the door.

Sleipnir perked up, eager to leave the dark library, though he watched as his older brother blew out the candles, and replaced his current read to its place on the shelf.

It was only after that they returned up the stairs on their way to Heimdall's Observatory.

The young boy trotted alongside his sister, reaching for her hand happily.

"I'm so excited!" he exclaimed, watching as the bridge sparked underneath every footstep they took, "If Mommy wanted to rule over it, it _must _be glorious!"

Hela looked down, smiling softly at her brother.

"Yes, I'm sure it is." She agreed calmly.

Slowly, the domed entrance of the Bifröst grew larger in their sights as the hum of the bridge filled their ears.

Passing underneath the golden archway, the siblings entered the domed building where the familiar, bearded face of Heimdall stood, ever the sentinel as he held his sword in front of him.

Sleipnir gasped, releasing Hela's hand to look up at him with wide eyes, even changing into the form of a larger horse to get a better look.

"My King informed me of your request, and if thou art able to make the jump, thou are allowed to travel to Midgard." Heimdall stated, unfazed by the steed's fascination.

Sleipnir looked up and grinned.

"Thou shouldn't doubt that I can make it!" he said proudly, "Mommy always said that I can do anything I set my mind to!"

Fenrir rolled his eyes.

"Whatever…" he growled, "Just get us over the bridge and on our way to visit Uncle Thor."

Sleipnir, still in his large steed form gave a whinny, kneeling down and allowing his siblings to climb onto his back.

Once he felt that all three of them were settled, he glanced over his shoulder with a nosy snort.

Hela looked down at her brother.

"We're ready." She confirmed, patting her brother's neck gently.

Sleipnir gave a thunderous neigh, and galloped towards the end of the bridge.

Heimdall silently watched them as they left, questioning their intentions as they left. Their father's actions destroyed his precious bridge; he could never forgive that. He could only watch them, hoping that their intentions were much more pure.

As the edge of the bridge came closer, the others watched with wary eyes, and with a strong, rippling of muscle, their youngest brother leapt across the gap gracefully.

They were above oblivion for what seemed like an eternity, though with a crunch, they landed; the bridge sparking with static as Heimdall watched from the other side.

The siblings grinned, sending words of praise to their brother as they rode down towards the earth below.

The closer they got, the more their hearts pounded within their chests.

Finally, they were having the adventure all of them deserved.


	3. Varied Intentions

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 2: Varied Intentions**_

"_We know not what the child may become."_

_~ Edward Counsel_

~O~O~O~O~O~

As Asgard quickly disappeared into the distance, their gazes turned to the only direction they could… downward.

Carefully, the Colt stepped across the broken, invisible shards of the Bifröst. The last thing he wanted to do was send his siblings tumbling to the ground, because of a miscalculation.

But even from their high-altitude, the siblings watched in awe at the new surroundings.

It was all very different from the gleaming Kingdom of Asgard, and despite it being extremely plain, they felt in awe of it anyway.

The ground below them was brown, dusty, and covered with plastic tents that were scattered all around the area.

Sleipnir glanced back at his siblings worriedly as Fenrir gave a barking laugh.

"Not nearly as glorious as thou thought it, is it, brother?" he taunted harshly.

Hela shot him a nasty glare as Sleipnir's hooves finally touched the ground.

The Bifröst instantly disappeared into the night sky, leaving them completely isolated and standing on a Norse symbol seared into the earth… the last sign of home.

"Oh Fenny, I don't think we're in Asgard anymore," she breathed, taking a glance at her surroundings.

"Yeah, no kidding, Sis…" the Wolf grumbled bluntly.

Sleipnir knelt down to let his siblings feel the ground for themselves.

The others only murmured their responses, as Sleipnir changed into his human form, frowning.

"Why is it so scary looking?" the boy asked, reaching for his sister's hand.

Translucent tents stood around them like jellyfish trying to hide the mountains on the horizon.

Something about all of this didn't feel right. This place was dangerous, and she could just sense the souls of mortals wherever she turned. There were several hundreds of them, and they were drawing closer to them.

They were aware of their presences, and she felt modified tan skin go pale at the very thought. Mortals were savage creatures, according to her Father, and they didn't understand anything about the other Nine Realms.

No matter what their intentions, they needed to make a plan. They weren't ready to fend off an army of mortals. Not at all.

Pulling at her younger Brother's arm, she turned to the others.

"We should get out of here before we can-" Hela said, though looking around, they were surrounded by soldiers; the clicking of guns filling the air.

It was too late. There was no way out.

Sleipnir trembled, wrapping his scrawny arms around his sister's hip, as Jormungand merely looked on, taking all their surroundings. Already, Hela could see that he was concocting some kind of plan.

She felt relieved at the thought.

_If anyone can get us out of here, it's Jormungand…_

The mortals watched them with an eerie stillness. They were watching them as intently as they were watching them. It made Hela more nervous than ever.

The dead were easy to deal with… it was the living that always made her nervous.

"Put your hands on your heads and don't move!" one of the men shouted.

Fenrir, much to Hela's chagrin, had his teeth instantly bared.

"And what if we _don't_?" he challenged boastfully.

Even with his face covered with a mask in the darkness, Hela could tell that the man looked less than amused.

"Then we shoot. This is a secret military facility." He responded, "So, I suggest you do as you're told and speak quickly!"

Hela felt herself frozen in place, hugging Sleipnir who was shaking with fear. She managed to look back at her siblings.

Much to relief, Jormungand stepped forward, hands clasped against his head calmly.

She smiled, as he so often reminded her of their Father, it made her laugh. Ever since they were kids, he'd follow every one of his Father's movements, quirks, habits. Her older brother just took it in, and he definitely did a good job of it.

"Well, we're here to find our Uncle. Have you seen him?" the Serpent answered coolly.

Fenrir shot him a glance.

"But we're not here for-!" he protested, but was only interrupted by a warning glance.

"Have you _forgotten _our purpose here already?" he snapped, "Perhaps these men can _help_ us!"

Fenrir gave a snort of disapproval, but settled back unhappily.

Jormungand then cleared his throat.

"I apologize for my brother's rash behavior. He thinks with his muscles more than his brain." He muttered, receiving a snarl from his wolfish sibling, "We're trying to locate our Uncle Thor."

The gunmen watched their superior officer until he signaled for them to stand down.

"Thor, hmm?" he answered, raising an eyebrow.

Perhaps these children might be of some use.

He settled back on his heels, lowering his own gun.

"Come with me and I'll see if I can get you the answers you're looking for."

Jormungand grinned, blue eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"Thank you. We appreciate your cooperation." He answered.

He then followed the soldier, forcing his siblings to trail behind him.

With gravel crunching beneath their feet, they were surrounded by soldiers on all sides during the short walk.

Fenrir quickened his pace to catch up to his brother.

If anything, the Wolf was suspicious.

"I don't know _what _you're planning, but I don't like it." He growled softly, "This better not be another one of your pranks… because I always end up getting the short end of the stick…"

Jormungand pushed a strand of black hair behind his ear and smirked.

"Don't be so impatient. We'll see our _beloved _Uncle soon enough." He replied, unfazed by his sibling's anger, "Besides, it's not _my _fault that you'll chase the stick if I throw it."

Fenrir pouted.

"I don't _always_!"

But his Brother was already paces ahead of him.

The group was led to a tent where they were ordered to sit.

"Stay here." The man commanded, "I'll be back with your answers in a few moments."

Jorry gave a laugh.

"Take your time, sir! We'll be here." He assured.

The man gave them one more look, before walking out and speaking to the men that stood at the tent's entrance.

Hela and Fenrir, meanwhile, looked over at their brother, leaving Sleipnir to stare at the night sky through the transparent roof of the tent.

The sister stood, making her way over to Jormungand's side, while he sat back coolly, awaiting the man's return.

"What _are _you planning, Jorry?" she whispered, eyes fixed on the entrance nervously.

She watched as her brother's expression melted into a smirk… one that nearly got him banished from Asgard for the resemblance it had to his father.

"That's easy, my dear sister." He answered, "we get taken into the mortals' hold, possibly rile them up a bit, and when the Avengers come… well, I'm sure even wet-nose could figure it out."

Hela looked at him, a smile on her face.

"I thought you said you weren't going to partake in our plans." She teased, prodding her brother in the side.

The Serpent jumped, but quickly settled back, ever under self-control.

"I said I wouldn't partake in your _bloodshed_. I came into these circumstances knowing you wouldn't have a plan of action." He explained simply, "And I'd never want to see Father weep at your imminent failure. Honestly, I know not what you were thinking. Were you going to come to Midgard and have the mortals welcome you with open arms? Or were you planning on coming in and slaughtering them recklessly? Regardless, both would fail miserably."

Sleipnir finally made his way over to them, hearing speak about their father.

"I-I don't want mommy to cry!" he yelped, oblivious to the plans of his siblings, "We have to do everything we can to make him feel better!"

The colt looked up with worried eyes, glancing skyward, hoping his parent would hear him.

Hela smiled, running her fingers through the boy's hair.

"That's right. Let's not forget the reason we're here. We're here for Father." She reminded gently.

A rustling of plastic captured the siblings' attentions and they turned to the entrance of the tent. There stood a man; he was well dressed with a suit and tie, and cold eyes that brought a surprising comfort to the youngest.

"My men tell me that you're looking for Thor." He said, his tone quiet, yet intense.

It was the kind of tone that made Jormungand's heart race at the thought of an intellectual challenge; that made Fenrir's head hurt, and was soothing to Hela. Sleipnir only watched, trying to piece together what was happening, already missing their home in Asgard.

"Yes! Have you any word of him?" Hela asked.

The man straightened himself, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Before I give you any information, I require a trade from all of you."

Fenrir instantly bristled.

"What _kind _of trade, mortal?" he snarled, stepping in front of his siblings, "I'll not have their blood be shed by your measly weapons!"

Even if they argued and fought, they were still family. Being Loki's children, it was all they had. They didn't have pride or dignity, prestige or honor… without each other, all of them knew they had _nothing_.

The man looked at him calmly.

"No, nothing like that. We just require information." He answered, though guards filed in behind him, guns pointed in Fenrir's direction.

Sleipnir took a frightened step back.

"Why are the mortals being so mean?" he asked, trembling, "We don't wanna hurt anyone! Don't hurt my big brother! We're just here for Mommy! I wanted to get him a present!"

Fenrir ignored him.

"What kind of information? We Asgardians aren't ones to just surrender!" he snarled, "As the eldest I'll speak on all our behalves."

He sent a warning glare over to his siblings, just _daring _them to interrupt him again.

The man looked over at the young boy, his eyes dilated with interest.

"You might not have to say anything." He said, taking steps over to Sleipnir.

The colt backed up even further, though watching the man offer a kind smile; he paused, taking one…two cautious steps forward.

"That's right… No need to be frightened." He said, "I just wanted to know who 'Mommy' is. Tell me her name."

At the mention of his Mommy, Sleipnir brightened considerably. If there was one subject he loved to talk about, it was his beloved Mom.

"_That's _what you want to know?" he asked, happy with the topic, "Mommy's name is Loki! Silly mortal! I thought _everyone _knew who Mommy was! He was famous and brave, and smart, and-"

"And one of the most dangerous criminals in the world." The man said, taking a black box out of his pocket and lifting it to his mouth.

The older siblings glanced back at Sleipnir, trying to hold back their frustrations at the youngest. They tried to be kind to him, but jealousy ran deep in their family. He was the only one with any respect, even more than their father… but he didn't mean any harm, so they tried to hide their emotions along with them in the shadows.

"Yes, these are children who apparently align themselves with Loki… Yes, I'll keep them here… No, they don't seem to pose much of a threat, but we'll keep them under heavy lock and key." The man reported.

Sleipnir looked up at him, tugging at his sleeve.

"What are you saying about Mommy? He's not a bad guy!" the colt protested, "Don't talk about Mommy that way!"

With an irritated glance from the man, Hela pulled her brother away from him, holding him close.

"Shh… quiet Sleipnir!" she soothed.

"But he's saying bad things about Mommy." He argued.

Hela shook her head.

"Just don't worry, dear one." She said, "Let the others take care of it. We all must understand our own times."

"Yeah, kid… let _us _handle things. We don't want you messing up any further!" Fenrir snarled.

Sleipnir shrank back, his eyes welling with tears.

He watched as the man replaced the box back into his pocket.

"You'll be staying here until further notice." He said, "Any problems, and you talk to the guards outside. They'll come retrieve me and we'll go from there."

Hela looked at him with wide eyes.

"Why can't you just let us go?" she asked, pulling Sleipnir closer.

"We are locating your Uncle as we speak." The man assured matter-of-factly.

Fenrir looked at him, and then in a foul swing, he knocked him to the dusty ground.

"Don't you think we know a lie when we hear one?" he snapped, "Our Father is the god of them!"

Guns were cocked in their direction and Fenrir gave a roar.

Jormungand ran to his brother's side in a feeble attempt to deter him from any further needless violence.

"Stop this madness!" the Serpent yelled, "This is no way to go about _anything_!"

The wolf gave a snarl.

"Don't talk to me about madness, brother! We all know that you're far more familiar with the subject than I!" he shot back.

Jormungand bristled in an instant.

"And what exactly is _that _supposed to mean?" he protested.

The only response he got was a smirk and no more words were exchanged between the two.

Guards poured into the tent like water from a broken dam, as the man recaptured his footing.

"The S.H.I.E.L.D agents are on their way, Sir." One of the soldiers said, pushing Fenrir to the ground and pressing the muzzle of gun against his head.

"Just stay down!"

Jormungand leaned back like a satisfied cat.

"Well, at least _I'm _not the one with mine tongue in the dirt, brother." He laughed, despite their circumstances.

Fenrir gave a snarl, struggling against the soldier's boot.

The Agent cleared his throat, adjusting himself.

"As I was saying… you'll stay here until S.H.I.E.L.D agents can come and take you into _their _custody." He said, "And let me just say… your father made quite the mistake by sending you here."

Jormungand looked at him, startled.

"But it wasn't _his _idea!" he argued, "Our father knows _nothing _of this!"

The Agent only gave a smile.

"I'm sure." He answered, walking out of the tent without another word.

The siblings watched him as the soldiers allowed Fenrir to stand.

Brushing himself off, he glared at them.

"I don't like it here…" he muttered, "Why can't we just kill them all? This 'plan' of yours isn't getting us anywhere!"

Jormungand rolled his eyes with irritation.

"No patience, brother… Do you even know what S.H.I.E.L.D is?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Fenrir looked at him for a moment and paused, thinking about it for a moment. With a look of puzzlement, he finally gave his brother a perplexed look.

"Uh…no… no I don't." he mumbled, "You know I don't like big words!"

The Serpent rolled his eyes.

"They're the government agency that runs the Avenger program. The ones that captured Dad." He explained calmly.

"I didn't know that!"

Jormungand and the others looked over at the guards, where a voice had piped up.

The Serpent rolled his eyes as one of the men replied with a sheepish smile.

"What? I _didn't_!"

Jorry only gave an audible groan.

_Why doesn't __**any **__of this surprise me? _

Hela, meanwhile, took a loud breath, brushing a stand of hair behind her ear.

"What do you want to do?" she asked, trying to piece everything together, "This is no time for you two to have another quarrel."

Jormungand mimicked his sister's breath.

"Let's listen to wet-nose for once. What does _he _want to do?" he asked, not attempting to hide his frustration.

Fenrir, oblivious to his brother's agitation, lit up.

"Y-you're really letting me take charge?" he asked, genuinely startled.

The Serpent sat down, leaning against his knees.

"Go ahead. Since you're the 'eldest', I should know my place." He replied, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Fenrir gave a grin.

"Good, because this will work out _perfectly_! I just know it!"

~O~O~O~O~O~

**((A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please read and review, so I know what you think. Oh, and quick reader-review poll, do you have a favorite of Loki's kids so far? I'm curious! ))


	4. Courses of Action

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 3: Courses of Action**_

"_A child's mind is their strength and their weakness."_

_~ Emma Leroy_

~O~O~O~O~O~

"Sir, what do you mean? I thought we closed the portal! They took the Tesseract with them! What more could Loki want?"

The brown-haired agent looked up at the Director, eyes searching his features for any answers.

He just stood, staring out the big, domed window of the Helicarrier through one, intense eye.

"That's why we're going to investigate." He answered simply, "After what happened last time, we're not taking any chances. These beings can be powerful allies or powerful enemies. We can only go in, hope for the best, and if things don't work our way…"

He turned to face her.

"Well, we'll just have to hope things go our way, now won't we, Agent Hill?"

The young agent nodded.

"Of course, Sir."

~O~O~O~O~O~

Fenrir looked at his siblings before hunching over.

Breathing hard, fur began sprouting from his body, he grew larger and with the painful snapping of bone, he emerged in a form half man, half wolf.

The guards reacted in an instant, their guns pointed and anticipating his first move.

The half-wolf drew himself to his full height, standing on his hind legs, as he gave a grin in his siblings' directions.

Closing his yellow eyes, he reared his head back, giving a blood-curdling howl as bullets began flying in his direction. He then rushed forward, bullets grazing his fur as he grabbed the guns in his teeth, tossing them carelessly to the side like toys.

He then turned back so he could stare into the eyes of the men.

Jorry watched his brother enjoy the senseless slaughter, all the while, reaching into his pocket to grab a handkerchief.

"Ugh… make it quick, brother. You know I can't _handle _the smell of blood." He muttered, holding it over his nose and mouth.

He knew that look in his brother's eyes and that smile on his face.

With a few screams and the pungent smell of iron filling the air, more guards arrived, only to be struck down by Fenrir's claws and teeth.

Sleipnir winced at the bloodshed. As often as he accompanied his grandfather onto the battlefield, it always felt wrong.

Slowly, the trickle of guards ceased and the shrill call of a siren rang out. Fenrir turned to his siblings, the blood-soaked fur seeping back into his skin to allow for his human features to take shape once again.

"Come on. Let's get outta here." He barked.

The others watched as he tore through the plastic wall of the tent and led them out into the labyrinth of trucks, tents and gun-toting soldiers.

They ran, dodging bullets and trying to make their way as far away from the mortals as they could.

Jorry began falling behind, panting as he quickly ran out of breath. He stopped to lean against his knees, the sweat dripping off his face in buckets.

Hela glanced back, reaching for his hand.

"Come on, Jorry! We can't let you fall behind!" she shouted, stopping to aid her brother.

Sleipnir, seeing his big brother growing tired, changed into his horse form, bucking his head, and throwing his brother over his shoulders, onto his back in a swift motion. Hela reached out and threw herself behind Jorry in order to keep him steady.

Sleipnir glanced back with a horse's grin before taking off again to catch up with Fenrir, who also had stopped when Jorry did.

"Are you comfortable?" Hela asked, wrapping her arms around the serpent's waist.

Jormungand gave an exhausted nod, leaning weakly against Hela as he grabbed a chunk of Sleipnir's mane to hold on.

The sounds of rifles still cracked through the air, as they continued to dodge the shots; Sleipnir running as fast as his Fenrir's pace would allow him.

He gave a loud neigh as his eyes caught a sudden movement and a strange, chopping sound hit his perked ears.

Hela reached out and grabbed his mane, stopping her brother from rearing up and throwing them to the ground.

"Calm down, Sleippy!" she called, petting his neck as he shook his head in agitation.

"What _is _that?" Hela called, watching as the massive machine came over the horizon.

Its spinning blades chopping through the air and a light at the front looking like an ever searching eye in the dying sunlight.

Fenrir stopped to glance back at his family, though with a roar, he changed into his full wolf form, tail swaying behind him like the hunter he was born to be.

"I dunno… but I smell humans. Whatever it is, it has their scent _all _over it!" he growled.

Hela watched her brother continue running forward, and she called out to him.

"Fenny, get back here! It's dangerous!" she shouted, but to no avail.

The great wolf's eyes gleamed as the red sky reflected in them.

"For a son of Loki? _Please, _sister! Let us do our dear father a favor and show off our strength! If his children bear such strength, think of the power they'll attribute to Father!" he replied, "He'll gain the prestige he deserves!"

Hela shook her head, giving Sleipnir a gentle kick to the sides as he began to run once again. With all the strain she could muster, keeping her arm wrapped around Jorry's waist, she reached out to grab her brother's tail. She missed by mere inches as he raced towards the flying machine.

The siblings could only watch as their brother made a strong leap towards the machine, grabbing it by one of the feet in his strong jaws, and with the help of gravity, both the wolf and the contraption tumbled to the ground.

Fenrir shook it, then tossed it to the ground, leaving it as a damaged, smoking heap in the sand.

He then returned to his siblings' sides, though his ears jerked up as the familiar, chopping sound returned, but much louder this time.

Fenrir narrowed his eyes. This one wasn't like the simple bird he could just rip from the sky… No… This one was much bigger…

~O~O~O~O~O~

"We have a copter down, Sir! And several figures on the radar. Two of them aren't human." Agent Hill reported, reading off the papers she was given from the various stations on the bridge, "There are also seven casualties around the site of the Norse symbol."

The man made a noise of disapproval, staring down at the retracting figures who were rapidly coming into view.

Agent Hill glanced over.

"Should I give the order to shoot, Sir?" she inquired, looking unsure.

With all these Asgardians and various other unearthly beings, it was hard to wrap her mind around, though once her commanding officer gave a nod, her mind cleared. All there was to do was focus on the orders she was given.

"Send a plane out there." He responded, "Though, if that doesn't work, I want you to call the Avengers. Get them here, since they might be the only ones who can take on these creatures."

Agent Hill nodded.

"Of course, Sir." She answered, scurrying off to another panel to deliver his orders.

It was all she could do, until more was figured out about these strangers.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Hela watched desperately as her brother kept his eyes locked in a one-sided staring contest with the machine.

"Come on, Fenny! Let's just run away from it! The humans already fear Father! That's why they're shooting at us!" she called, "Besides, Jorry needs water! He's going to pass out over here!"

Fenrir hesitated, but at the mention of his exhausted brother, he relented.

Family was much more important than any conquest he could think of.

After all, it was one of the reasons their father wanted to rule Midgard in the first place. -

Very vividly, he could remember his Father speaking to them once he returned back from the wretched place… right before they had sloppily tossed him into the prison underneath the city he once called home.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Several months ago))

The children had gathered to visit their Father. Each footstep was followed by an echo as they descended below Asgard's main city to the labyrinth of prison cells where they'd find him. Once the guards were told their names and the prisoner they wished to visit, the creaking gates were opened, and they were led into the tight corridors of the prison. Nearly having to walk single file, there was no room for any of their true forms, so as young humans they walked behind the guard, each of them gathering the words of comfort they were going to offer their parent.

They were stopped suddenly, as the guard reached into his pocket to retrieve the correct key, unlocking the door, and allowing the children to enter.

The cell was dark, only a few crystals lining the walls offered lighting, but a distinct figure was visible through the darkness.

Sleippy was the first to rush into the cell, seeing the figure stand. Tears flooded down the boy's face as he was pulled into a trembling embrace.

"Mommy! I missed you so much! Yesterday was _too _long ago!" he sniffled, burying his face into the man's chest.

As the other children gathered around, Jormungand went to the crystals, amplifying their light to brighten the cell, so that they could fully see their Father's features.

He was ragged, the prison clothing he was given were very different from the clothes he usually wore, and his hair, usually slicked back, hung in his face like the fungus that clung to the walls.

Despite his condition, the Trickster still managed a warm smile to balance the weary eyes of his tormented children.

"We all missed you dearly, Father." Hela answered, reaching out for his hand, "It's wonderful to see you."

Loki looked at them, blinking to the adjusted light, and squeezed her hand gently.

Fenrir stepped forward as well, wrapping the group in a strong embrace, as the near complete family stood for a moment, treasuring each other's company.

Jormungand, however, stood in the doorway, eyes focused on the dirty floor beneath his feet.

Loki looked up to him, pulling himself up onto trembling legs to get a better view of him.

"Jormungand? Are you ill?" he asked.

Sleipnir, hearing his brother's name, released his hold, allowing Loki to go over to his second eldest.

The serpent didn't move, but an obvious sneer lined his features.

Fenrir awkwardly shifted between his feet. This was becoming a usual occurrence, and he didn't like it. He could only wonder what thoughts were going through his brother's mind.

"Hey, Snake eyes! Dad's talking to you!" he barked, not entirely unwilling to show concern for his brother.

Jormungand looked up, feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"It's despicable that they put you in here, Father." He finally muttered, "This is no place for a _Prince _of Asgard…"

Loki frowned, squeezing his son's shoulder.

"Well, the conditions may be less than desirable, but it is fair. I have done much wrong against the Allfather and the other realms." He explained, "There are very few excuses for my actions. Trying to rule the mortals was a mistake, even if I _had _my reasons."

Sleipnir looked over.

"What reasons, Mommy?" he asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Loki took a deep breath, keeping his hand firm on Jormungand's shoulder.

"Well, for one reason, I did it for all of _you_." The Trickster responded.

Jormungand turned to his Father, puzzled by the response.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, his interest peaked.

Looking at his children fondly, he gave a smile.

"If I ruled Midgard, no longer would you suffer the torments here. You'd have a place to go where I could keep you safe." He answered.

Jorry's expression turned to one of even more confusion.

"But why not take your birthright in-?" he began, but an instant, cold stare from his Father silenced him.

"That was _never _an option I wished to explore. Those _monsters _are none of your concern." Loki said icily.

The Trickster watched as a gleam crossed his son's expression.

"Of course, Father." the teen answered obediently.

Loki gave an uneasy grin, patting Jorry's shoulder as he went over to the others once more.

The rest of the visit went rather smoothly, but the serpent waited.

Hela would glance over at her brother every few moments, but growing impatient, she reached back, pulling him forward into their small circle.

"Come on, Brother." She teased, "Don't' be antisocial!"

Jorry allowed himself to be pulled, joining the rest of the family.

Despite the fact that it bored him, it made the rest of them happy to have his presence amongst them. It was the least he could give, after all.

Though, as Sleipnir gave a yawn and the light of the crystals began to dim down again, the other siblings bid their farewells.

Fenrir, Hela, and Sleipnir all embraced their Father, then left the cell under surveillance of a guard.

Jormungand stayed behind.

Fenrir didn't know _why_, but this conversation seemed filled with more tension than the usual banter they shared about magic or science.

But the Wolf never made it a habit of prying into the personal life of his brother, for deep in his gut, it seemed like bad luck. That was the last thing he wanted.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Present Time))

More sounds hit the wolf's ears and he turned his gaze upward to find it in the starry darkness.

He heard Sleipnir give another whinny and instinctively, he stiffened, giving a roar.

With several clicks, the stinging of bullets rained down on the siblings.

Sleipnir just ran. It was all the colt could think of, what his Mommy had told him, and what Hela was telling him now.

Despite his experience on the Asgardian battlefield, it was hard for him to concentrate through the chaos.

All he could think of doing was what he was told.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((A/N: Thank you so much for the alerts, faves and review! I appreciate it! I'm glad you guys are still sticking through with me! Please read and review, so I know to keep going! ))


	5. Which Way?

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 4: Which Way?**_

"_Parents of young children should realize that few people, _

_and maybe no one, will find their children as enchanting as they do." _

_~ Barbara Walters_

~O~O~O~O~O~

The phone rang and Tony Stark purposefully ignored it as he rolled back over on the bed.

Today was the _one _day he wasn't going to let _anything _get in his way.

He was going to oversleep and do it right, Goddammit.

"Tony, SHIELD is calling. They're saying it's an emergency."

His girlfriend's voice entered the room with the hiss of an automatic door.

With all the renovations that had been going on with the Manhattan, Stark Tower project (not to mention the rushed, late night eureka trips he had in the lab), sleep became a glorious treasure that he didn't want to let go of.

But like the prince in a fairy tale, the CEO wasn't about to give up. She leaned over with a kiss, and Tony quickly found himself trading one love for another.

He sat up and instead of another kiss, he found a cell phone being shoved into his face by his smirking lover.

Taking the phone out of her hand, he looked up with feigned annoyance.

"Stark here." He said, as she sat next to him.

"Hello, this is Agent Maria Hill from SHIELD. We request that you come to the headquarters as soon as possible." The voice over the phone spoke, "Loki may be up to his antics again, and-"

"You'll need me to come in with the Avengers to swoop in and save the day?" Stark answered smoothly, "I gotcha."

"We can send a helicopter to pick you up, or if you prefer to fly here yourself, we can send you the coordinates." Hill replied.

Stark smirked.

"Just send the coordinates. Saves the environment an ulcer." He replied, "Might as well save the world one step at a time."

~O~O~O~O~O~

Agent Hill waited on the line as the familiar bars of "Stars and Stripes Forever" rang on the other line.

Finally, with a click, a nervous voice picked up.

"Hello? Are you still there?" the voice asked.

"Is this Stephen Rogers?" Hill asked.

"Yes. This is him. I'm sorry… I'm still getting used to this whole cell-phone thing." He apologized sheepishly, "But what can I do for you?"

"SHIELD needs you to come in. There have been several attacks. We need all the Avengers to come in." she said.

"Of course!" he answered, "Just get me a ride and I'll start packing!"

Hill smiled.

"Very good." She answered, hanging up.

~O~O~O~O~O~

She called the others, receiving a positive response until she needed to contact the son of Odin.

Contacting the observatory where a Miss Jane Foster had been relocated, but there was no response.

"So Blondie isn't picking up?"

Agent Hill turned to see none other than Tony Stark making his way into the room.

"I mean, the guy doesn't have a cell phone… Wonder if he'd even get good reception in Asgard. Probably not." He muttered to himself, looking rather amused.

Agent Hill looked back at him.

"I'm going to go and send out a helicopter to retrieve him." She said.

Stark gave a sympathetic look.

"Perhaps they've finally learned to screen calls in Asgard?" he asked.

"Mr. Odinson is currently visiting Miss Jane Foster." Hill replied.

Tony broke into a smirk.

"Well _there's _your answer! I don't blame him! Just leave this whole thing to the rest of us. Besides, then I don't have to worry about him kidnapping Loki again." Stark laughed, putting arm around her shoulders, "Heck, I'll even talk to Fury for ya."

He walked side by side with her out the door, curious as what he'd have to do this time.

~O~O~O~O~O~

"So what are we up against?" Agent Romanoff asked, leaning against the table, her eyes fixed on the Director, "Something about Loki?"

Clint settled back with a sound of disapproval. He hadn't forgotten what transpired last time, and it was making him uneasy. He felt an encouraging hand on his knee, as Natasha managed a smile.

The Director stood in front of them, hands clasped behind his back.

"Beings claiming to be Loki's children attacked several people and destroyed a helicopter in a military site near Puente Antiguo, New Mexico." Fury explained.

"That's the same site where everything else happened." Clint muttered, remembering the first time he spotted the Asgardian.

"Yes." Fury affirmed.

"Well where did they go? I'm hearing things about a giant wolf and a horse. Can't we just put out some catnip and hope that they come to us?" Stark asked, leaning back in his chair.

"It's not that easy. If these are _really _Loki's kids, they're gonna be dangerous. We can't treat this like it's a joke. " Steve chastised, "These aren't like pets he sent out as a prank."

The two exchanged glares, but Bruce stepped in between them to break the tension.

"I'm just wondering why he'd send his kids down here in the first place." He questioned, "He was already beaten once. Why try it again?"

"Maybe he's persistent." Steven suggested, "Sometimes people just won't give up on something they want."

Stark leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah… 'try and try again', and all that jazz." He commented, "But let's not get all inspirational when it comes to bad guys. I wanna get back to business. Where did these guys go?"

"Our radar tracked them into a series of caves." Fury said, his single eye locked on the group, "There have been no signs of them since. Unfortunately, due to high lead content in the cave walls, we're unable to track them any further. You'll have to go in and check it out manually."

There were nods all about the table, but Natasha leaned forward.

"You had said they were children. Perhaps we can just coax them out. Children are children after all." She said, unsure, "I wasn't trained to hunt kids."

Stark glanced at her.

"But these aren't little girls playing hopscotch in front of a church." He muttered, "Giant wolves are a _completely _different thing! These are monsters we're talking about!"

He glanced back, giving a sheepish grin to Bruce.

"No offense, big guy…"

The scientist only gave a shrugged response.

"I'm used to it by now." He answered calmly.

"And are you _sure _it's al right that Thor isn't here? I feel that he should know if we have to, y'know… shoot at his kids. He should get a heads up at the least." Steven answered.

"Why interrupt him when he's down here? We're strong. Who says we'll be _shooting _at them? Again, I think we should go with the cat nip idea." Stark retorted.

"I think we should go down and see what we're _dealing _with." Rogers said, receiving nods of agreement all around.

Glancing about the table, Stark saw that he was outnumbered, and gave in.

"Okay, okay… everyone wants to go see the puppies." He muttered, standing up.

"Let's suit up and go see the kiddies!"

The others followed suit.

Rogers pat Tony's shoulder on the way out.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." He answered with a smirk.

Stark walked with him.

"Yeah… well, I do that." He answered, as they headed into the hull of the ship.

Fury watched them, a satisfied gleam in his eye.

His project had come together in so many ways and he couldn't help but feel proud.

~O~O~O~O~O~

"Quick! This way!"

Hela climbed off her brother's back and held Jorry still as they maneuvered through the dimly lit caves.

Sleipnir looked back at his sister, growing more and more frightened as they continued on.

Jorry was still leaning wearily on the horse's back. Every so often he'd murmur sounds, but Hela could never seem to make them out, but she'd strain her ears to try and listen anyway.

From her brother's lips came a word… no… a _name_. She couldn't particularly make it out, but if she had to make a guess, it sounded like 'Nessa'.

She had never heard her brother speak of anyone, really. Often times he only spoke of his latest experiments or his studies.

Especially not a girl.

She shook her head.

_No… it can't be… Hela, you must be hearing things again… _

"N-no, Jorry… It's Hela." She managed, grabbing onto her brother's hand and giving a squeeze.

She glanced back worriedly at Fenrir. Her older brother chose to pick up the rear behind them. His ears were perked sharply, wary of anyone who would want to follow after them.

"Come on. There must be water _somewhere_." She muttered, trying to swallow the frantic butterflies that threatened to burst from her chest.

She nudged the steed further into the caves. Specks of light seemed to emanate from the walls as they moved deeper and deeper into the serpentine caverns. Tracing her fingers along the rock that surrounded them from all sides, she walked alongside her brothers, taking an awed mental note that they were crystals embedded into the rock, the same as those in the prison cell of her Father.

Something about them astounded her and calmed her as they went through the labyrinth.

The air grew more humid and with every drip or noise that echoed against the rocky walls, Sleipnir would startle.

Hela would only pat his side, and push him further on. The farther away from the humans, the better off they'd be.

"I'm sorry, Jorry… we should've listened to you… or not gone out for revenge in the first place… This whole thing was a bad idea." She murmured guiltily.

She frowned, as she received no response from her brother.

The group sank lower into the caves, and Sleipnir paused, looking between two tunnels that stood in front of them.

Hela glanced back at their eldest brother.

"Which way should we go?"

Fenrir lifted his head to sniff the air suddenly.

"Go to the right tunnel. I smell water!" the wolf called, his tail wagging eagerly.

Hela gave a nod of understanding, leading Sleipnir through the tunnel her brother suggested.

After several paces, the sound of trickling water hit her ears.

"Come on, Sleippy."

She quickened their pace, continually sending anxious glances up at her brother.

Jormungand responded to the sound of the water, and his eyes opened wearily.

"We're almost there, Jorry. Just stay awake." Hela urged.

As they entered a large cavern, Hela gasped. In front of them, was a massive lake. Luminescent crystals lit the cavern from above like stars, and a beam of light lit it from underneath. Sleipnir paused, feeling the water lap at his hooves.

The serpent swayed for a moment, as Hela put her arms on his waist.

"Just throw me in the water." He croaked.

Hela was about to question her brother, but she shook her head. She remembered the last time she questioned him, and in an instant, she went to help her brother off the horse.

He nearly fell on her, as all his weight collapsed into her grasp, though she held him up with a trembling hold, lowering him to the ground.

She was about to lead him to the water's edge, when she heard Fenrir give a snarl, and once she was able to steady Jorry on his feet, she allowed herself to glance back.

"Fenny?"

More sounds of struggle reached her ears, and the crumbling of rock.

"Fenny, are you okay?" she called again.

Her heart dropped when she heard her brother give a pained yelp, and footsteps approached them.

Sleipnir trembled, though, as the footsteps grew closer and closer, he rushed back, full of fear for his big brother. He gave a whinny, rearing on his back legs as he rushed back into the darkness.

"What _is _that?" came the worried calls as more shots were heard.

Hela quickly pushed her brother into the water, watching him sink to the depths. Anxiously, she waited, glancing between the lake and the entrance of the cave.

A loud bark hit her ears, and she allowed herself a sigh of relief, though, when they began to retreat farther and farther away, followed by more footsteps, Sleipnir's whinnies continued on.

Hela turned her attention back to Jormungand. Her brother's clothes slowly pressed themselves against his skin, leaving scales in their wake, and slowly, his serpent form began to appear. She smiled as the familiar shape of her brother began to emerge, and his massive body began to fill the lake; the water level rising to cover her ankles.

Keeping his large head submerged, Jormungand's blue eyes looked at her, and laying his head against the rocky edge of the lake, he managed a fanged smile. It quickly disappeared as the footsteps grew closer.

The figure of a man emerged, and the serpent gave a roar, his forked tongue flickering out from between his lips.

The gleaming of a shield came into view, and, pushing his sister to the side, he opened his maw wide to grab the man in his fangs.

With a struggle, the man positioned himself, so the shield lodged itself in between Jormungand's jaws, and the serpent began thrashing about as the edges of the shield began to wedge painfully between his teeth.

The serpent's eyes narrowed as he watched him grab his sister, separating her from him.

Hela looked as the man managed to step into better light, and in an instant, her heart gave a flutter. He was dressed all in blue, though the dirty whiteness of stars were visible on his clothing. His eyes were gentle, but they sensed danger. Something about them was extremely attractive, and it took all of her will power to fight the shyness that threatened to overcome her and push against him.

"D-don't hurt him! That's my brother!" she pleaded, "He only needed water! Don't hurt him!"

The man looked at her, confusion in his gaze.

"Your brother?" his voice questioned, but Hela had no chance to answer.

The crack of Jormungand's jaw echoed through the cavern, and he threw the shield, lodging it in the stony wall with a _clang_.

A large clawed paw emerged from the water as the serpent went to pull itself from the water, but he paused. His eyes looked down at the man, eyes softening with a certain familiarity… an odd fondness that Hela could never remember seeing in her brother's eyes. He then retreated back into the water, and following the beam of light, he disappeared, leaving on a thin trail of blood behind him.

Hela rushed forward into the water to call out to her brother, but the man grabbed her by the hand. She glanced back at him, and hesitated, pondering her own situation.

With a fortitude that made Hela's heart palpitate once again, she watched as he scanned the water like a hawk.

"I can assure you that my brother won't return." She answered.

He looked over at her with a gentle smile under the mask he wore, before releasing her hand and scaling the wall to dislodge his shield.

Hela watched him for a few more moments, before taking a deep breath and making her way over to his side.

"I… I want to thank you for helping me. My brother _may _have gotten a bit out of hand." She answered.

With a grunt, he nearly stumbled back as his shield came free.

"Oh, it's no problem, Miss." He replied, giving another smile.

_Curse that smile… A goddess of death should __not __be having such weakness for a mortal, no matter __how __attractive!_

Silently she scolded herself, but another question brought her attention right back to where she had started.

"Is that really your brother?"

He looked puzzled and concerned, and Hela gave a sigh.

"Yes…b-but he's not all bad! That's just what happens when he gets dehydrated." She explained.

Silently her rescuer paused as he made a mental note to always keep water on him.

She shifted between feet before striking up her own bravery once again.

"But what's your name?" she asked, giving a nervous smile. She could barely look him in the eyes he was so handsome.

For once, she was glad that she had chosen this hideous, mortal form.

"You can call me Captain America, Miss." He answered, and Hela's eyes widened with recognition.

That name… it was one of Uncle Thor's friends! One of the Avengers! This was one of the men they came down to fight… to _kill_! Hela made a decision to put a stop to this. These heroes weren't all that bad.

"And what should I call you, Miss?"

Hela smiled, her heart pounding again.

"I'm Hela."

Her brother had been briefly forgotten, lost in the man's smile, gentle eyes, and firm muscular build.

"Well Hela, let's get you out of here. I have to go see where the others are." He said, putting a hand on her shoulders and urging her out of the cave.

Hela could only hope that the walk back was a lengthy one.

~O~O~O~O~O~

"God, I _hate _monsters…" Stark muttered as he flew after the large beast, "Aliens, snakes, now giant wolves? I don't remembering stepping through a magic cupboard…"

With the night vision of his goggles, he searched for the beast.

When he spotted it, he tried not to jump. The creature's hair stood out on all ends as it held up one of its paws, obviously injured.

Taking a few, hesitant steps forward; he held his hands out in front of him.

"Come on, puppy. If you just come with Uncle Stark, we can _all _get out of this creepy place." He muttered, "We don't want anyone to get hurt, right?"

The wolf only responded with bared teeth and a disagreeing snarl. Its yellow eyes reflected what little light the caves provided, though, despite the steps the hero took, it didn't back up any further.

"Okay, buddy. Just come with me."

Stark was quickly growing impatient. He just wanted to head back to his tower, into the arms of his favorite redheaded CEO and a drink in his hands. Was that so much to ask?

With careful eyes, he watched as the wolf straightened; drawing itself as high as the cave's ceiling would allow it.

Stark took several, hesitant steps back, arms in front of him and blasters at the ready.

The wolf gave another snarl running towards him, and Tony fired straight into the wolf's chest.

The creature launched back, and instead of hitting into a wall behind it, the wolf gave a howl and disappeared into the darkness.

Stark rushed forward to see where it went, but the sound of crumbling rock caught his attention.

"Sir, I wouldn't step any further. There appears to be a sinkhole in front of you. My scanners can only read a part of it." Jarvis pointed out.

Tony looked down at the sinkhole. There was no sign of the wolf anywhere. Feeling satisfied with that, Stark turned on his heel.

"Yeah, let's go see if the others need help. I've seen enough horror films to know when I should stick my neck out." He muttered, heading back out the way he came.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Sleipnir thrashed and bucked, kicking and neighing as the two humans tried to get handle of him.

"Clint, put the bow away! You're just frightening it!" the woman yelled, her voice sounding different from anything the young horse ever heard.

Giving a snort, he felt her hands gently stroking along his neck. It was calming, but the shot of an arrow reached the colt's ears and tightness constricted his legs. Struggling, he went to move, but ended up crumpling to the ground with a loud 'thud'.

The woman shot him a glare as Sleipnir tried to kick, but he could barely move.

"Was that _really _necessary?" she asked.

The youngster could feel the irritation in her voice.

"I didn't want it getting away. Besides, I don't know horses! It looked like it was going to attack!" the man called Clint argued.

The colt continued fighting against the bonds that held him, his eyes never leaving the two humans.

He watched with horrified eyes as the woman bent down in front of him, reaching her hand out to him. He struggled, giving a whinny, trying to bite. Successfully, she pulled her hand back, leaving him further to struggle.

She tried again, reaching her hand out and gently shushing him. Sleipnir looked up at her fearfully, but feeling her gentle hand along his nose, he leaned into her gently.

_Mommy always did that…_

At the memory, tears welled in the colt's eyes and they trailed down his face.

The horse hiccupped, as he changed into his human form, wanting to be free of the bonds. In an instant, he curled into a ball, wiping his eyes as he tried not to cry.

The pair of humans looked down at him in shock with the transformation.

"Y-you saw that, right?" Clint asked, hoping that his eyes hadn't failed him for the first time.

His ally gave a nodding response.

"Da, I saw it."

She reached over, slowly embracing the child.

Sleipnir cowered away, sniffling and trembling.

"I-I… I want my Mommy." He whimpered, scrubbing at his eyes.

"Come child. We'll help you find your mother." She said, standing up and offering the boy a tender hand.

Sleipnir looked up, more tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Really?"

The woman smiled and gave a nod.

Sleipnir took her hand.

"O-okay." He answered, hauling himself to her feet.

However, something caught the boy's eyes, and he paused. A glint, like a fallen crystal stood out amongst the rocks and pebbles.

Bending down, the boy went to reach for it.

The woman looked at him fondly as he stuffed the newfound treasure in his pocket.

"What is that?" she inquired.

The boy met her gaze, green eyes shining with innocence.

"It's just a crystal. I thought Mommy might like it when I see him!" he announced proudly.

She laughed.

"I'm sure he will." She answered, leading him out of the caves.

Clint looked after them, unsure, tucking his bow behind him.

That little boy had just been a monstrous horse before, and now he looked an average little boy. Honestly, all this magic stuff was making his head hurt.

Nevertheless, he followed them out.

His eyes forward, he looked at the sight in front of him.

Seeing the famous, Black Widow being so domestic… well, he wasn't sure if he was touched, amused, or it was a tad of indigestion, but he sure knew he'd be teasing her about it sometime in the near future.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((A/N: I hope you guys are still enjoying this story! Thanks for the new alerts, faves and reviews! They really keep me going, so keep it up! I appreciate them whole-heartedly! ))


	6. Separate Ways

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 5: Separate Ways**_

"_Nothing you do for a child is ever wasted." _

_~ Garrison Keillor_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Bruce Banner waited outside the caves, pacing back and forth.

The last thing they anyone needed was for him to be smashing the walls of the cave, so he chose to come along as a healer if anyone needed it.

Though, seeing the others emerge from the caves, he felt relief, though seeing the children walking with them, he made his way to join the rest of the group.

"So, are these his kids?"

They glanced over at the two children, Hela beside Captain America, twisting her hands anxiously, shooting not-so-subtle glances up at him, while Sleipnir clung to Black Widow's hand, looking at the other man with fright, much to her amusement. Though, once the green eyes spotted his sister, he released the spy's hand and ran over to her.

Clint put his hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow.

"Is that your Mommy?"

Sleipnir looked up at him with such shock, he would've thought the boy just watched him kick a kitten fifteen feet into the air and light it on fire with a flaming arrow.

"Mommy's a _man_, stupid!" the boy protested, clinging to his sister tightly.

Black Widow looked at Clint as his face went pale, and unable to contain herself, she just laughed.

Tony went over to his ally with a smirk.

"He sure told you, didn't he?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah…" Clint muttered, his eyes narrowing as he tried to swallow his embarrassment.

Hela looked over, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Our father is back in Asgard. Last time he was here, it didn't end so well." she explained, trying to change the subject.

Stark looked over, his attention captured.

"So you really _are _that bast-err, _Loki's _kids." He muttered, "Surprised that nutcase could get any…"

Sleipnir released his vice grip on Hela to turn his head in the billionaire's direction.

"Get any _what_?" the colt piped up.

Steve led the boy away from his teammate.

"You'll find out when you're older." He muttered.

Sleipnir remained unconvinced, but decided not to press the topic.

Bruce glanced between his teammates.

"Anyway… you're telling me that these kids were able to kill seven people?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at them.

Granted, he was a meek guy at first glance… when the other guy wasn't in control, but still… he felt a bit skeptical.

Stark went over to his science buddy.

"You haven't _seen _these kids." He said, "I was fighting a giant wolf, man!"

Hela gasped, hearing mention of her brother.

"What happened to him?" she interrupted, "You didn't hurt him, did you?"

She looked around, not seeing any trace of him.

Stark looked at her and winced. He didn't really think that the creature had a _family_… He only saw a big, furry cockroach with massive teeth.

"He, um…well… he fell off a cliff."

For once, the famous, self-proclaimed, philanthropist, playboy, billionaire found himself fighting for every word.

Hela froze.

"Y-you killed him?!" she breathed, looking absolutely horrified.

"Nah-ah-ah! I didn't say killed! I said that he fell off a cliff. There's a difference!" the man corrected quickly, "Not much of one, but there is a _teensy _difference!"

"Well, if he's alive, then we should go and find him!" the young Goddess of Death argued, "Otherwise we'll do it ourselves! Come on, Sleippy."

The little boy followed, but the Captain stopped them.

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that." He apologized, "If your siblings _are _still out there, we have to make sure that we get you back to Asgard and _away _from Earth."

Sleipnir tensed, hearing him.

"B-but I wanted to see the really tall buildings that Uncle Thor told me about!" he whimpered.

The Patriotic hero gave his allies a glance.

"How about we bring them to Stark Towers, leave them there, and have someone watch them while we find the others?" he suggested casually.

Stark shot him a glare.

"_Oh _no! We are _not _bringing them back to _my _home." He protested, "Remember what the _last _monsters did? I'm still fixing the damages they caused!"

The colt, hearing them break into fierce arguments, began to tear up, and before he knew it, he had broken down into wailing sobs.

As if on cue, the ground began to shake and all of them were thrown to the ground.

Hela, trying to keep her footing, also fell, though she tried to crawl to her brother and comfort him.

"Shh… it's all right, dearest. No need to cry."

Rogers glanced over at Tony, who had flown into the air to avoid the shockwaves.

"Sir, it seems as though that boy is the cause of a Richter 4 earthquake." Jarvis said through the hero's suit.

"Yeah, yeah… but how do I make it _stop_?" Tony asked, growing desperate.

Hearing an aggravated groaning, the others looked at Bruce worriedly.

"Just give him what he wants!" Clint shouted, watching the scientist clamp his hands over his ears.

Tony hesitated, but with a reluctant sigh, he folded.

"Fine. I'll take you to Malibu so you can see the buildings. Please just stop crying!" the billionaire pleaded.

Sleipnir, hearing the news, instantly cheered up and ran over to hug him about the legs. The shockwaves in the earth also seemed to cheer up as well; dissipating instantly.

"Really? That's _so _cool! I can't wait to tell Mommy about it!" he chirped happily.

Stark held back a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered, "Let's just get back to see Fury. I'm sure he has something to say about this, and if need be, we have to find the others."

Hela and Sleipnir exchanged glances. Seeing no other way, they followed the others as they began walking.

All they wanted was to get their siblings and go back home.

~O~O~O~O~O~

With a groan, Fenrir hit the ground.

He rolled over onto his back, taking a few moments to recapture his breath.

His chest and back were pounding with shooting pains, and as he shifted into his human form, he grabbed his head, trying to wait out the throbbing.

Those weren't ordinary weapons; incomparable to the arrows and swords of Asgard.

The mortals were more advanced than he thought… and the Avengers were stronger than he originally assumed.

Taking a deep, chest-filling breath, he rolled onto his front, hauling himself onto all fours. His limbs trembled and ached beneath him.

"I…I can't believe I was beaten so easily…"

He took several, heaving breaths as he turned into a wolf once again.

Darkness was in every direction, but as his eyes adjusted, walls and boulders in his path grew visible.

He shook himself off as he took his first few steps to the long trek to find a way out of these caves… and to find the Avengers.

Somehow he'd manage to exact the revenge his siblings and he were planning.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Jormungand followed the underwater passage for hours.

He was relieved that his mouth had stopped bleeding. The metallic taste and smell always drove him crazy, so he tried to avoid it when he could.

Though, whether he wanted to or not, his thoughts drifted to the man in blue; the one that had been trying to separate him from his sister.

If he hadn't been bleeding, he wouldn't have left Hela to fend for herself… but being the daughter of Loki, he knew she'd be fine.

But he regretted not attacking him when he had the clear shot.

Usually he wouldn't have hesitated, but the blue… it reminded him so much of _her_ that deep in his heart, he just couldn't do it.

Jormungand gave a heavy sigh, allowing himself a bit of time to sink to the bottom of the passage and let his mind drift; his thoughts gathering themselves into a foggy, lonely cloud.

It had been such a long time since he made the trip to Jotunheim to see her, and he had been worried ever since.

Closing his eyes, he visualized her and the last time he managed to lay eyes on her.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Several months ago))

Glancing around, he carefully placed the frost flowers in the vials he brought. They were powerful alchemical ingredients, only found in Jotunheim, where the steady cold allowed the flowers to spread their spores.

Though, the gathering of these plants was but a convenient ruse behind his true intentions.

"You're late, Lokison."

At the sound of the familiar voice, Jormungand turned around quickly, stuffing the vials into his bag.

A smile widened on his features as she made her way over to him.

Her red eyes were a radiant contrast against the harsh, icy winds of Jotunheim, and her blue skin was covered with the most intricate markings that were unique to every one of her kind… of _their _kind.

The serpent took a deep breath as he went to embrace her.

"If it's any consolation, I've missed you very much." He apologized.

Her lips curled into a smirk, and despite her smugness, she allowed him to embrace her. At the contact, his skin turned blue; the color spread up his arm, but he merely smiled wider. It always filled him with pride at the skin change. He felt like a _true _Jotun.

"How hast thou been, my dearest Nessa Gymisdóttir?"

Her name was a familiar feeling on his tongue.

"I never understand why you ask me that." She replied, "Your visits are always the most exciting of my days and you _know _that every day in my realm is the same."

Jormungand's expression saddened as he gripped her hands tightly in his.

_If I ruled this world, such would not be the case…_

He quickly shook the persistent thoughts from his mind.

"Well, when we are wed, I'll take you back with me to Asgard, and I'll make sure that your days are nothing less than glorious." The Serpent brightened.

The Frost Giantess smiled.

"You really _have _inherited your father's silver tongue." She teased, running a gentle hand along his face.

Jormungand gave a laugh.

"But of _course_!" he replied pompously, "I pride myself on it, after all!"

Nessa snuggled into him with so much love, the Serpent thought his heart would burst.

"Well, you have quite the reason to be proud." She assured.

The Serpent hesitated, pulling away for a moment.

Nessa looked at him, her eyes saddened.

"Think not of your father." She answered, pulling his face towards hers, "Betrayer of Asgard or not, he is still a brilliant man… a brilliant _god_."

Jorry shook his head.

"That's not what bothers me about my Father." He muttered, though seeing the sadness in her eyes, he managed a smile, "But let it not grieve you. These are my faults and problems, not yours."

Nessa wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck.

"They are both our problems, love. If I'm to be your wife, after all… he is almost my own father." She answered, earning a laugh from the Serpent.

"Tis true." He replied, kissing her on the forehead, "Tis true."

Though, before he could do anything else, a pulsing in his chest meant that the spell he was using to veil himself from Heimdall's gaze was beginning to wear off.

Feeling her lover tense, Nessa looked up at him, disappointment filling her ruby eyes.

"You must leave already?" she asked.

Reluctantly, Jorry nodded.

"I'm sorry, love… but I promise. When I return, things will be different." He vowed.

Nessa gave a laugh and kissed him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I know they will." She answered, "I have the utmost faith in you."

Jorry gathered his bag as he kissed her again, before making his way down the mountains to the Bifröst entrance.

Watching as she waved, he vowed that he'd make everything okay… or he'd die trying.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Present Day))

Jormungand gave a heavy sigh as he pulled himself off the bottom of the underwater passageway.

He had things to do, and the last thing Nessa would want to see is him lying around being sad.

He was filled with a new sense of inspiration, and he wasn't about to let it get away from him.

_No way._

_~O~O~O~O~O~_

_((A/N:_ Thank you for for making this my most followed story yet! I'm so glad everyone's interested! *throws cookies like confetti* Please review! I'd love, more than anything, to hear what you think! ))


	7. Self Control

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 6: Self Control**_

"_The pride of man, of parents as well, makes us believe that anything we create we can control. Whether from clay or from metal, it is in the nature of us to make our own monsters. Our children are our alloys, all; built from our own imperfect flesh. We animate them with magic… and never truly know what they will do." _

_~ Sarah Connor_

~O~O~O~O~O~

"What do you think happens when we die?"

The man looked down, his gaze locked on the egg salad sandwich that sat on his lap amongst a nest of wax paper.

His companion looked at him with a perplexed glance as he finished off the oatmeal cookie that crumbled in his mouth.

"What are you talking about now, Jeremy?" he asked, once he had the chance to wipe off his lips, "Again with the deep questions?"

Jeremy just stared into his sandwich.

"I was just thinking about that Thor guy we have to retrieve, then about the place he came from, then the big questions just start rolling in. I-I can't help it!"

Jeremy's companion pat him on the shoulder.

"I understand… but let's just keep an eye out for him, okay?"

Jeremy nodded.

"Okay."

They sat in silence for a moment, before Jeremy turned to him.

"Hey Chris?"

The other man gave an exhausted sigh.

"What _is _it, Jeremy?"

"Do you think there'll be cake when we die?"

Chris was about to open his mouth and respond, when the sound of a thunderous laugh caught their ears, and a large, muscled man came into view.

Alongside him, was Jane Foster.

"Hey Chris! I found him!" Jeremy chirped.

Chris sighed.

"I'll go get him. You just start the copter blades, all right?"

Jeremy gave a salute.

"Aye aye, Sir!" he said, grabbing the rest of his sandwich, and heading into the cockpit.

Chris jumped off the side of the landed copter and ran over to the pair.

"Mr. Odinson, Sir?"

The blond raised his eyebrows and put a strong hand on his shoulder. Chris felt his spine give a crack and he winced.

"Aye. I am the Son of Odin. Who are you?" he asked.

"We're from SHIELD. You're needed back at Stark Towers." He explained, "They're on their way to Malibu right now."

Thor nodded, and then glanced at Jane.

She answered him with an assuring expression.

"I'll be here when you come back." She promised.

The god smiled, kissing her once more, before reaching back and summoning his hammer with a rush of air.

"Come Mjölnir! There is need of us!" he called, spinning the tool over his head and with a force, he launched himself into the air.

Before Chris could even respond, the man was but a speck in the sky.

"B-but… we were supposed to take… him… there."

He frowned, defeated, shoulders slumping.

"Today is just _not _my day…"

Jane looked to the pilot, giving a sympathetic laugh.

"He does that sometimes. He's just a bit… _overzealous_. You just have to get used to it." She answered calmly.

Chris gave a sigh, looking at her, then tipping his hat.

"Yes, I see. Well, have a good day, Miss Foster." He said, heading back to the copter and climbing in; course set to return to the helicarrier.

Back in the copter, Jeremy sat in the seat next to his, offering a friendly smile. He didn't see Thor with his friend, though.

"Where is he?"

"He left without us. Let's just return and tell Fury what happened." He answered.

Jeremy looked at him brightly.

"Okay, Chris!" he replied.

As the copter began to take off, Jeremy turned to him once more.

"So, Chris? You never answered my question." He said, "Do you think there'll be cake?"

~O~O~O~O~O~

Sleipnir, all the way to California, had sang very out of tune renditions of ancient, Norse children's songs. Every time he finished, he'd earn enthusiastic applause from Hela and Bruce Banner. The others were less than enthusiastic, though Natasha attemptedat being amused as they all sat on Stark's private jet.

"Absolutely fascinating! You have quite the repertoire!" Banner praised, as Sleippy puffed his chest out with pride.

"Yes, Sleippy! I always love it when you sing!" Hela added.

He was about to sing yet another, when Stark Towers _finally _came into view. In a flash, the colt's eyes widened like Christmas and he ran to press himself against the window, his nose squished against the glass as his breath fogged up the glass.

"Wow! That's the most _beautiful _thing, like_, ever!_" the boy exclaimed, "Did you _really _make that, Mr. Stark? How many horses did you need? Did it take long? Does your family live with you? Did-"

Hela went over and pried the boy from the window, cupping a hand over his mouth, even though he continued to talk incessantly behind her fingers.

"Okay, dearest. Let's not make the man's head explode with your questions, hm?"

Sleipnir looked disappointed, but as his sister lowered her hand and gave a smile, he brightened; disappointment completely forgotten.

"Okay!" he answered, settling down in the seat next to her.

She wrapped her arm around the boy, as her gaze drifted to her hero in blue. The man was even more handsome without the suit.

He leaned against the arm of the seat, his eyes focused on the sights out the window and his own thoughts.

When she felt embarrassed heat building her face, she looked away, resting her head on top of her brother's.

With a sudden lurch of the plane, however, everyone instantly shot up.  
"What _was _that?" Stark called, standing up and making his way to the cockpit.

"Sir, that was no turbulence… there must be something on top of the plane." The worried Captain answered.

Stark gave a groan.

"Okay. I'll go check it out." He answered, going into the back and donning his suit.

With a hiss of the door, and a roar of fire, the sound of metal was heard above their heads.

Though, to their surprise, there were no sounds of struggle.

As the door hissed closed, Stark appeared after a moment, and the man he brought with him brought wide grins about the room.

"UNCLE THOR!" Sleippy shouted, instantly running over to the familiar form.

The Thunderer gave a laugh, wrapping his arms around the boy, as Hela went to embrace him as well.

"By Odin's beard, children! What art thou _doing _here?" he chortled, pulling his kin closer, "And where are the others? I see them not!"

He glanced around, but his brief search failed.

"They're not here, Uncle Thor. We got separated in some caves." Hela answered.

"Yeah! And I got Mommy a present!" Sleippy announced happily.

Thor gave another laugh.

"I'm sure he will love it, Sleipnir."

The Thunder god then looked at his allies.

"So, what is the problem? Why have we been summoned together, my friends?" he asked.

"Actually, it's because of _them_." Clint pointed out.

Thor looked shocked.

"My kin? Never! Hela and Sleipnir could do no wrong! There must be _some _mistake!"

"There have been seven casualties already, about a dozen more wounded, and a few thousand dollars in damage." Natasha added, "We believe that the other two are more to blame for the atrocities than these two."

"Fenrir… Jormungand… my brother's eldest children…" Thor breathed with a wince.

His father had warned him of the pair. They were the most dangerous of any of Loki's kin. Jormungand was predicted to kill him at the end of days, while Fenrir was said to be fated to swallow Odin whole… but he didn't want to believe it.

They were his brother's children and he loved them!

He remembered spending time with his children, babysitting and teaching them how to hunt. He couldn't imagine them doing anything but angelic… but then again, he never imagined his brother doing what he did, either.

"What? Are they adopted too?" Stark asked as Thor shook his head, dispelling his thoughts.

"Nay, nay. They are fully of my brother's blood. But my father had warned me of their predicted treacheries."

"Like Nostradamus stuff?" Stark continued.

Thor looked at him oddly, and the billionaire waved it off dismissively.

"Nevermind, Blondie, but what _kind _of treacheries are we talking about?"

Thor sat down, leaning against his knees.

"It is said that, at the end of the world, both my Father and I will be killed at the teeth and claws of my brother's kin." He explained.

Uncomfortable silence settled in the cabin.  
"I don't think they'd do that." Sleipnir answered simply, "Fenny and Jorry are nice! Those are just stories. Mommy _told _me so! And Mommy is _always _right!"

If possible, the silence grew even worse.

"Shh, Sleippy." Hela whispered, glancing worriedly up at her Uncle.

"Nay children. Tis all right. My heart is glad to hear your voices." Their uncle comforted, "I'm sure they are but stories."

Stark and the others didn't seem so sure, though no more conversations were started until the plane landed smoothly.

It was only Sleipnir's excitement that got their legs to move.

"Yay! We get to explore the tower! Come on, Uncle Thor! We can go _together_!" the boy cheered, grabbing the Asgardian's hand.

Thor gave his nephew a smile.

"I wish I could, my dear kin, but friend Stark and the others have business that I need to join them for. Take your sister and have fun in Odin's name for me."

Sleipnir lit up, new reaching for Hela.

"Okay Uncle Thor!" he exclaimed, jumping down the stairs and bolting into the tower, "For Asgard!"

The others chuckled watching the children disappear into the tower. Thor was the last one to turn back to the group, a concerned expression lining his brow.

"Don't worry, M.C. Pepper will watch the kids. She's _great _with that stuff." Stark mentioned.

"Well, she took care of _you, _didn't she?" Clint joked, earning laughter from the others.

"Ha-ha, _very_ funny. Now come on. Let's see if SHIELD has anything to report. Last time I checked, there was no sign of those kids and they were sending people into the caves." The billionaire said.

The group made sounds of agreement, as they headed into the Tower themselves; for the first time since the last incident where they needed to save the world.

~O~O~O~O~O~

As sunlight hit Jorry's eyes, he blinked back bleary spots.

Sounds of noisy mortals caught his attention as he raised his head; his reptilian features only partially submerged beneath the clear, salt water.

A crowded place _filled _with mortals?

Jormungand nearly laughed at his luck!

His plan was _finally _piecing itself together. Now all he needed was his idiot mutt of a brother.

He rolled his eyes, only imagining what his brother was doing.

_He's probably chewing his ass back in those caves._

The serpent chuckled at the visual for a moment, though his expression quickly dissolved into a sneer. He sank back down into the water, disappearing into the darkness.

Closing his eyes, the serpent summoned his brother. He _needed _him… his most important pawn in this chess game.

"Fenrir? Can you hear me?"

Back in the caves, the wolf sat up instantly, releasing his biting grip on the itchy, sandy fur of his own backside.

His ears perked, but unhearing, somehow his brother's voice was clear in his head.

"Brother?" he asked, looking around, confused, "I can hear you! Tell me! Where art thou?"

The serpent rolled his eyes at his brother's vulgar habits, but quickly focused himself on his goals.

"I'm sending you messages through our minds with magic." He answered.

Fenrir's eyes widened.

"That's AWESOME!" the wolf exclaimed.

Jormungand rolled his eyes again, but chose to ignore the outburst.

"I need you to join me, brother. We can still kill the Avengers, and you… Fenrir, listen to me! Stop with your backside already! I'm speaking about death here, brother! You can even cause the destruction you wanted!" Jorry argued.

Fenrir lit up, his eyes gleaming with lust.

"Of course, brother! We'll be getting our revenge! Just tell me where to go!" the Wolf agreed, "My teeth are at your command, dear brother!"

Jormungand was startled.

"Even if _you're _the eldest?" he asked.

Fenrir gave a nod.

"Yes. Nothing will get done unless you command me, Brother." He answered.

His smile grew wider.

"Very good. Just follow my voice and you'll be rewarded with the screaming of Midgardians and the taste of their blood on your tongue."

The gleam in Fenrir's yellow eyes was enough to show that they had an agreement. He then went and followed his brother's voice through the caves' serpentine corridors. Fueled by bloodlust, it was the only thing on his mind… and he ran, both towards his brother _and _his reward.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Loki, back in the dungeons of Asgard, doubled over; a horrible, sinking feeling filling his stomach.

Something was _definitely _wrong, and leaning against the walls, he rose to his feet and went to the bars on the door of his cell.

"Guards! Guards!"

The two of them turned around.

"What is it, Trickster of Asgard?" one of them asked.

Loki looked out, grasping the bars.

"Pray! Tell me! Is there any news?" he asked.

The men looked at him.

"Nay. All is well in the Nine Realms." The guard responded, "No thanks to the likes of _you_."

The pair chuckled, as Loki released the bars and slunk back, unconvinced.

His children were in danger, he just didn't know why… and that not knowing was the thing that unnerved him the most.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((A/N: I'm so glad for the reviews, alerts and faves! I feel so loved! Tune in next week for the next installment! :D ))


	8. Shattered Molds

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 7: Shattered Molds**_

"_Children's games are hardly games. _

_Children are never more serious than when they play."_

_~ Montaige_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Months ago))

Loki looked up at his second eldest. The boy's features young, but not nearly as strong as Fenrir. The familiar feeling made his stomach drop.

"What can I do for you, Jormungand?" he asked, offering a smile.

The serpent stood tensely. It wasn't something the boy often did, making it all the more obvious that he was trying to swallow his nervousness. Honestly, it worried the Trickster.

In front of him, was the son that took after him; the boy Loki, himself, could relate with.

With a sympathetic countenance, he was about to reach out a hand, when his son finally faced him, thoughts gathered.

"I… I don't understand why you're locked up here." Jormungand stated, "It just doesn't make sense to me."

Loki's features softened, not expecting such sentimentality from his aloof kin.

"Well, I've done bad things." He replied simply, "One cannot expect to destroy a city and leave unpunished."

"B-but those were but _mortals_, Father! Their lives are meaningless to gods like you… like _us!_ They kill each other off anyway! Why jail one for being ambitious?" Jormungand protested, "Destruction of their lives and their property are only means to an end!"

Loki examined his son, an amused glint filling his green eyes. Hearing his own words emerging from the boy's lips… he wasn't sure whether to be concerned or proud. An odd mixture of both settled in the cavity of his chest as he leaned forward, a chuckle escaping him.

"Even Midgard is one of the nine realms." He pointed out, "Mortals are as much a part of Yggdrasil as we are. Killing them does naught for the other realms, but rather hurts them. The All-Father and your Uncle Thor would also be displeased. They're both quite fond of Midgard and bringing them anger is unwise."

Jormungand scoffed. In an instant, all child-like innocence that he entered the room with fell away like a discarded cloak.

"Surely you do not _believe_ that."

"What makes you think otherwise?"

The boy chuckled, glancing at his father with an amused expression.

"I don't see what's so special about them… They're boring creatures that frighten at the smallest of things. They're nothing compared to the great prowess of the Jotuns." The younger man stated.

At the mention of his birth race, Loki bristled.

"What did you just say?!"

Despite seeing his Father's shock, Jormungand remained calm and collected, unfazed by his parent's emotions.

"I only speak the truth. I understand your distaste for the race, but I see not why you'd choose to rule Midgard in its stead. You have a perfectly good birthright to Jotunheim! The military strength of the Frost Giants is much greater than _anything _the Midgardians could conjure up! They're a wonderful, _beautiful _race, Father! Why are you not proud of your heritage as I am?"

Loki stood in an instant, anger that hadn't been present before, suddenly bubbling up within him.

"Because there's nothing to be proud of! They are filthy, horrible creatures that should've been destroyed when the All-Father or I had the chance!" he snapped, "There is nothing good about them! They're useless beasts!"

Jormungand, instead of lashing out, quieted for a moment, not out of fear of his father's wrath, but of thoughtfulness.

"But Father, you counter your own words with hatred… besides, what do you think Hela, Fenrir and _I _are?" he inquired matter-of-factly, "What our _mother _was?"

He smirked. Another move in their emotional chess game was set in place.

Loki looked at him, green eyes once again mellowing.

"You're my children… Jormungand, you're no monster. You're my son, nothing more. As for your mother… I was young and foolish. We'll not speak of that again." He answered, "But you're nothing like those filthy Jotuns! Your mother included!"

The Serpent tensed, his own anger finally finding its footing.

"I WILL NOT HAVE YOU SPEAK OF HER LIKE THAT!" he shouted, before he could remember himself.

Loki's eyes widened at the outburst, though he didn't respond as the boy sank back with obvious embarrassment.

"I won't lie and say that I had any emotional attachment to your mother. She had the appearance of an Asgardian maiden when she came to me. I knew not of her actual heritage." He answered, "Though I quickly scorned her when she revealed it."

Jormungand snorted.

"I wasn't speaking about my _Mother_."

Tilting his head to the side, Loki leaned forward.

"Then who _were _you speaking of?"

Something in his stomach sank and he clenched his jaw to keep it from dropping.

"What are you _saying_? Tell me. Tell me this instant!" he insisted.

Jorry settled back into the reserved, quiet nature that was expected of him, though, under the dim lighting of the crystals, Loki could've sworn that a light dusting of color graced his son's cheeks.

It was an unexpected move in their chess game.

"There's a girl I love." The teen swallowed, "And I will not have you speak of her glorious race in such a way. Her name is Nessa, she's a Frost Giant, and I've been in love with her for a very long time now."

Silence settled between them, and it took Loki a moment to gather himself before he was able to turn his back to his son. Leaning his forearm against the wall, he tried to find the right words; _anything _to persuade his boy from this youthful foolishness.

"And what are you planning on _doing _about it?" he inquired, "You've kept it a secret for so long… why reveal it now? Why not just run away with her?"

The young sorcerer hesitated, but taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"I wish to make her my wife under Asgardian tradition. I wish to bring her here to live with me."

In those ten words, Loki could've sworn his heart stopped beating.

"Y-you want to _marry _her" he gasped.

"Yes, Father! More than anything in the Nine Realms." Jorry answered confidently.

Now it was Loki's turn to try to understand.

"A _Frost Giant_… surely there must be another maiden in Asgard that catches your eye!" he suggested, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

"Nay, Father. There is but _one _girl that has my eye." He insisted, "And she also has my _heart_."

Inside, Jorry grew frustrated. He was getting nowhere with this… it was time to implement another tactic to get what he wanted. Straightening himself to his full height, he looked over at his Father, a sudden smile curling his lips.

"_Besides_, take not your frustrations out on me! Tis not _my _fault you're the failure of Asgard!"

With a snarl, Loki spun around with rage as he met his son's calm expression. The sly smirk boiled his nerves the most.

"It's all right Father. You'll always have another chance once you're released from here!"

The Trickster eyed his son.

"Chance at _what_?"

He felt a bit more than skeptical now. He never thought he'd be underestimating his own son, but the boy proved to be quite the manipulator himself.

Jorry's smirk remained plastered to his face as he took several steps forward, closing the distance between Father and Son.

"Why to kill Odin and your _brother_, of course!"

The Trickster gasped.

"What you speak of is _treason_. I never spoke of killing them! I've only wanted their love and respect! Possibly their humiliation!"

Jormungand gave a sigh, rubbing his temples exasperated.

"You see, Father? That is where your problem is. You're _weak_! _Spineless_! If you _want _something, you should be doing everything in your power to _take_ it!" he muttered with frustration, "Why not set your ambitions as high as they can?"

As he spoke, with each word, he read the expressions of aggravation and defeat on his Father's features. Something about it fueled his words even further and he continued.

"But _you _just wish to settle for a basket of kittens and comforting words! It's absolutely pathetic, really."

The boy leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. He watched as Loki settled back, for once, his silver tongue caught speechless.

"Honestly, Father… you really didn't understand what you had available to you… did you? You're one of the most prestigious sorcerers in the Nine Realms, you're considered a son of Odin _and _of Laufey… your brother, Thor, loves you with an undying loyalty, _and_ you have four children that are extremely powerful! Yet you threw _all_ of that away for the deaths of mortals? To play a few _pranks_?"

When Jormungand looked up, his father was calm now. Loki knew this game all too well. It was one that he practically invented himself. The boy knew hurt and was doing everything in his power to construct something out of it; analyzing the subjects' weakest points and utilizing them. Yes… the boy learned well from example.

"You'd consider the death of hundreds mortals to be a simple prank?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Jorry shook his head with a laugh.

"Of course not! But mischief is never far from your mind, Father! No… you had many other, deeper, more _painful _reasons for the siege of Midgard! You wanted to prove yourself to Odin and Thor because of your own insecurities. You still wish to be loved by them, and by watching the mortals flee from your gaze or kneeling before you, you'd be able to fill gap that still pulses within you." the boy replied plainly, "You're not hard to read, Father. It's a shame, really. You'd think that the Trickster of Asgard would have so many more secrets to unveil… but I suppose that's always the way it goes, right? The son surpassing the father?"

He laughed again.

"If you'd allow me _ten _minutes and a barrel of wine, I could have Thor, Odin, Frigga, and many others dead at your feet." He stated, "Surely you've studied your poisons, Father! Unfortunately, you don't want them dead at all. It's a shame, really. Death is such a permanent, convenient solution to problems."

Loki gave a sigh, yielding to his son this once.

"True, I wish not for their deaths… but you shouldn't be so reckless, my boy. Plans have an odd way of slipping from their tracks if one isn't careful." He answered.

Jormungand scoffed.

"I'm not a failure like you, Father. I have no plans on letting down my beloved Nessa."

He straightened himself, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his trousers before heading to the door.

"But it was lovely speaking with you, Father… or should I say _Laufeyson_? We really should do it more often. This Father-son bonding thing is quite enjoyable."

He gave a smile and without another word, he left, closing the cell door behind him.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Present Day))

Fenrir darted through the caves, his paws feeling scratched by the jagged rocks.

Finally, he spotted sunlight, and like a moth, he ran towards it.

The beautiful sound of feminine laughter hit his sensitive ears and he changed into his human form as not to frighten her.

Not _yet _anyway.

Glancing around, he made sure there was no sign of Jormungand.

Seeing none, the Wolf broke into a smirk.

_I'm sure he won't mind if the plan waits for a little while longer…_

Sauntering out of the cave, he spotted a young girl walking her dog.

Remaining unseen, he chuckled to himself, briefly pondering what it'd be like on the end of that leash, especially when being held by such a stunning beauty.

She had red hair, pulled back into a pony tail and she wore a dress decorated with various colored flowers.

Something about it caught Fenrir's interest, and his desire to have her grew.

Clearing his throat, he went over. He wouldn't allow his confidence to be fazed by a pretty face. He'd charmed many a maiden in his time… before his Father's reputation went downhill. There was something dazzling about this girl, as she had a remarkable resemblance to the goddess Iduna, whom he had tried to woo on several occasions. Frowning at the memory, he turned his attentions back to the maiden in front of him. The first thing he noticed about her, was her red hair. It surrounded her face like a hooded cloak, and then trailed down her back some length to her shoulders. If he didn't know any better, he would've sworn he was falling in love with this mortal.

"So, dost thou come here often?" he asked, watching as she gasped, spinning around to face him.

She was met by a rather handsome face smirking at her. Despite the smugness that surrounded him, she didn't seem threatened by him.

Perhaps it was his confidence that really captured her.

_Must be an actor_.

That would've explained it.

"Well, _yes, _actually. I'm a local." She replied, brushing a strand of red hair behind her ear, "What about you? Seeing the sights?"

She would've remembered such a handsome, rugged face walking around the town.

Her eyes locked on him, the fellow gave a laugh.

"Yes, actually." He replied coolly, "I'm here with my siblings, though I know not of their whereabouts. Truth be told, I _care _not. I saw you and my eyes were captivated!"

He took several steps towards her, and she could smell him. The distinct scent of pine trees and natural musk emanated from him.

She felt her face go crimson to match her hair, and she broke out into a fit of nervous laughter.

The man grinned.

"My name is Fenrir." He stated, "I know it doesn't tell much, but if that would sway you to go out with me, I suppose I could give it up… My name, I mean."

The girl smiled, with both flattery and amusement at the style of his speech. It was just so odd!

"I suppose I could." She replied, holding out a hand, "I'm Amy, by the way."

Fenrir looked at her hand, then, bowing from the waist, he kissed it gently. Like the wolves of fairy tale legend, Fenrir was raised to have manners. He had been sprayed with enough water during bouts of bad manners to learn from his mistakes… and well, his eyes were focused on something he wanted.

He watched as her face darkened even further, though she glanced down at the dog that began to yap at her heels.

"Oh, you don't mind dogs, do you?" she asked suddenly.

Fenrir laughed.

"Not at all! I'm quite the dog person!"

Instantly, she lit up.

"That's good! I don't go out with guys who don't like animals." She replied.

Fenrir moved closer, offering her his arm.

_If only she knew…_

She gasped, taking his arm and pulling herself closer to him.

"My, what a gentleman!" she exclaimed, "I'm _impressed_!"

Fenny chuckled.

"Well, my Father is quite the charmer himself." He replied calmly, taking the first of many steps to escort her down the beach.

As they walked, she turned to him.

"So, you said your name was Fenrir." She pointed out, receiving a grunt of affirmation, "That's quite unique. Where are you from?"

Fenrir visibly hesitated for a moment, fishing through his mind for an answer that she _might _believe. Midgard was the _one _realm that was oblivious of Asgard's existence.

"North." He finally managed, wishing he had the lying capabilities of his Father or younger brother, "You've probably never heard of it."

Amy tilted her head to the side.

"What? Like _Canada_?" she asked, an amused glint in her eyes.

"Y-yeah! That's right… Canada!" he answered, glad for the loophole, "You guessed it!"

Amy laughed, still holding his arm.

"I didn't know Canadians could be so funny!" she replied.

The wolf laughed.

"Well, let me just say that they can be _quite _animalistic if given the chance…"

~O~O~O~O~O~

Jormungand gave a sigh.

He had been waiting in the caves for over an _hour _and there was no sign of the mongrel anywhere.

The Serpent was growing impatient.

"Where _is _that idiot?!" he growled, sending out another mental signal.

When he received yet _another _ignored response, he took a deep breath.

_Keep it under control… we have all the time in the world._

Voices and footsteps caught his ear, and instantly, he sank back, his eyes visible. Two mortals, one male, one female emerged from the sunlight.

"Hey Vic! Let's get a shot over here!"

Jorry cursed under his breath as he rolled his eyes. Even in books, Midgardians irritated him… seeing them in person, well… It made his dislike for them even worse.

He watched them as they glanced around the cave, their scantily clad backs turned to him. He could almost feel himself trembling with anticipation.

The instant they turned around, Jorry sank down into the dark water that concealed him.

Under the water, their voices were muffled, though he could feel the vibrations through the cave walls.

The vibrations grew closer to where he was, though their unhurried pace told him that he hadn't been spotted.

When he felt a disturbance in the water above him, he sank further into the cavern, when he felt feet stepping all over his snout.

Feeling utterly humiliated, Jormungand tried to keep himself under control, but the more the human moved, the more restless and irritated he grew.

_I'm not one to stoop beneath the feet of mortals!_

Filled with anger, he pushed himself forward, shooting up from the water, bringing the Midgardian along with him.

With a messy splash of water and chaos, the female was thrown clear of his water-filled cave, and Jorry was met with the flashing of lights.

He gave a roar, bearing his own teeth as the humans took off.

"Shark! Vic, come on! Let's go!" came the female's voice, retreating farther and farther from the cave.

Jorry's heart swelled with pride as they fled before him. Perhaps his Father _wasn't _so ignorant in his attempt to rule the mortals.

Even the pure joy of seeing them run away and scream with horror… it provided decent entertainment.

Though as sudden as his high developed, it began to wane, and something stirred inside the Serpent's mind.

Now that he had been spotted, the humans would already start to worry themselves into a frenzy, being the stupid creatures they were.

Cursing under his breath, his Father's voice echoed in his mind.

_You shouldn't be so reckless, my boy…. Plans have an odd way of slipping off their tracks if one isn't careful!_

He shook his head, clearing the thoughts.

"That old fool knows not of what he speaks…" he muttered angrily.

Closing his eyes, he summoned his brother with more intensity. Something in his instincts told him that they couldn't wait any longer or they'd miss their chance.

_Fenrir, Brother! The time has come! The reward of Midgardian blood is yours for the taking!_

He waited for a moment, expecting another unreturned signal, but when he heard his brother's brainwaves once again, he grinned.

_Of course, Jorry! I'm on my way!_

Settling back into the water, his nerves began to calm.

"Very good, Brother… Very good."


	9. Breaking News

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 8: Breaking News**_

"_Children sweeten labors, but they make misfortunes more bitter." _

_~ Francis Bacon_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Pepper glanced over her shoulder.

She had heard of parents putting their children in front of the television because it was a great way to occupy time, but she didn't realize how captivated the pair would be.

They sat cross-legged, their eyes fixed on the screen.

"Hela _look_! Rainbow Dash is gonna make the Sonic Rainboom!" she heard the boy exclaim.

In the living room, Hela looked at her younger brother with a laugh.

"I know, I see it, Sleippy." The sister replied, watching the screen.

With all the technology they had back in Asgard, they didn't have anything like this, though they wish they had.

If only they could bring one back for their Father, so he'd have something to do while in the dungeons… though trying to explain technology to their Father _might _be a tad difficult.

The feeling of Sleippy tugging on her sleeve drew her attention.

"Um, Sis?" he asked.

Hela looked over.

"What is it, dear one?" she asked.

"What if _that's_ how the Bifröst was made? I mean it _is _a rainbow bridge, right? What if it was made by the winged horses of the Valkeries?" Sleippy inquired, pointing at the screen, "Wouldn't that be _awesome_?!"

Hela looked at her brother, shocked for a moment, before breaking into laughter.

"I doubt this mortal television show has _anything _to do with our realm, Brother." She giggled.

Overhearing their conversation, Pepper allowed herself a laugh as well, though, feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, she reached to grab it.

Before she was even able to put her ear to the device, frantic babbling answered her.

Glancing down at the number, she saw that it was her cousin.

"Hello?" she asked, a worried frown quickly spreading across her features.

More frenzied speaking answered her and she could barely make out anything she was saying.

"Amy, calm down." She spoke gently, trying to calm the girl down, "Take a deep breath, I can't understand you."

Sleippy's ears perked as he glanced back to where Pepper was speaking. She sounded worried.

"No, I'm _sure _you're not crazy, and I _doubt _you'll swear yourself off men forever because of this." The CEO explained, already feeling exhausted by her cousin.

The girl was always one to exaggerate, but Pepper couldn't help but be concerned.

"Yes, I understand he was a _monster_…"

She continued speaking into the phone and smiled as her cousin slowly began to calm down.

Glancing back around the corner to see what Hela and Sleipnir were doing, she heard a sound of static.

"Hey! Where'd Rainbow Dash go?" Sleippy exclaimed, looking rather disappointed.

Hela, however, only stared at the screen.

"Shh, Sleippy!" she interrupted as she leaned forward towards the television.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this important newscast. It seems that panic has arisen in the Malibu area when a monstrous wolf began causing havoc. According to witness accounts, it came out of _nowhere _and began a town-wide slaughter. Officials are on the scene trying to take down the beast, but-"

Sleipnir followed his sister's gaze to see grainy footage of their brother, his dirty, grey fur unmistakable.

"Hela _look_! Fenny is on the glowing, talking, magical box thing!" the boy exclaimed excitedly, "Do you think he can see Rainbow Dash in there?"

Pepper made her way into the room, staring at the television as well.

"Amy, I'm going to have to call you back… Just _stay _inside." She answered, hanging up the phone.

In an instant, she called Tony.

This was something he should know about.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Meanwhile, the Avengers sat around the glass table, all eyes locked on Fury.

"After a thorough investigation of the caves, there are no signs of the two children, which leads us to believe that they've escaped." Fury stated.

Stark leaned back, rolling his eyes.

"Great… more monsters on the loose is _all _we need." He muttered.

Thor shot him a glare.

"Those _monsters _you speak of, are my nephews." He argued, "And we have to find them. I don't want any harm to come to them."

"I doubt your _family_ is what we have to be worrying about." Clint muttered, "We should be thinking about the general public!"

Both were going to have a retort, when Jarvis interrupted.

"Excuse me, Sir… but Miss Potts is calling. Would you like to take her call?"

Stark grinned at the two before nodding.

"Yes, I'd _love _to." He answered, glancing at the others, "Sorry, I have to take a call."

The others glared as he spoke.

"Yes Pepper, we're on our way now to investigate it."

Stark leaned forward, his elbows against the glass table, speaking with his girlfriend, as he ordered Jarvis to show them the news report.

"Stark! There are people in danger out there! Hang up and let's go!" Rogers argued.

Tony nodded.

"Okay, I gotta get going… The boys are already starting to miss me."

"All right, Tony. Just be careful." She warned.

Stark smirked, sinking back into the sleek, leather chair.

"Aren't I always?" he replied, hearing her scoff before she hung up.

"Well, I guess we found the kids." Clint commented, glancing up at his ally.

In the corner, Thor sighed.

"Yes, I suppose we have." He answered, looking more worried than ever, "But let's go. I want to subdue him and then take the children back to Asgard with me."

Bruce nodded.

"We're not accomplishing anything by sitting here. People are in danger!" he answered.

The others sounded their agreement as the stood up, mentally preparing themselves for the chaos they were about to face.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Down in the streets of Malibu, Fenrir ran with his fur soaked and dripping with the blood of his victims and yellow eyes scanning his surroundings. The streets had quickly emptied once he showed himself, but several, foolish souls still stood there, watching him. Some held large, black boxes and others flashed lights at him.

It all made him excited. It was the closest to battle that he'd experienced in a long while.

Tail wagging with unrivaled enthusiasm; he rushed forward to try to snatch more bystanders in his jaws. If they were going to make themselves easy prey, why not take advantage of it?

Feral eyes glanced around until they locked onto a young boy, toying around with some device in his hands. Many Midgardians had them, yet they had nothing like that on Asgard.

He felt the tingle of adrenaline run down his spine and with several, thundering steps, he ran forward to grab the boy in his jaws. Already, he could taste the boy's flesh dripping down his fangs.

He heard the mortal give a scream, but instead of the soft, sticky feeling of skin and bone, he felt pain shoot up his jaw as he clenched down on something hard.

He fell back with a howl, releasing his grip on whatever he grabbed.

"Miss me, Puppy?" a familiar voice asked.

Already Fenrir grew angry, and when the spots of pain vanished from his vision, the first thing he saw was _red_.

Giving a snarl, he lunged, maw agape, but was met with an iron fist to the nose.

He flew through the air, hitting the asphalt street with a crunch.

As he gathered his footing, Fenrir gave a groan.

When he finally looked up, he saw several faces looking down at him; his Uncle Thor included.

Fenny might not have been a smart dog, but he knew enough to piece together that _these _were the infamous Avengers.

Instantly, he changed into his human form, nervousness rippling deep within his gut.

"Uncle Thor, what are _you _doing here?" he asked.

The Thunder god looked down at his nephew with obvious disapproval.

"_I _should be the one asking that question, Fenrir." He rumbled, "Now stop this mindless slaughter before more Midgardians get hurt!"

The Son of Loki sighed, managing a sheepish grin. He wasn't used to getting lectures from Uncle Thor… and something about it was rather frightening.

"Sorry, I can't do that, Uncle Thor." Fenny replied, receiving an edgy response from the heroes, "I was told only to listen to Dad when _he _gets here."

"Wait? _Loki_?!" Clint snarled, reaching down and grabbing the boy fiercely by the collar, "You're telling me, that _bastard _is coming here?!"

Fenrir looked at the man with wide eyes before giving a nervous shrug.

"I-I guess so… Jorry didn't tell me much!" the teen stammered.

Thor shook his head.

"But that's impossible! Loki is being held in the prisons of Asgard! There's no chance of escape, even for my trickster brother!" he argued.

"I doubt 'impossible' is a word in your brother's vocabulary." Clint muttered.

Fenrir watched them, too frightened to escape, though in his mind, the Serpent's voice echoed once again.

_Come __**on, **__Fenrir! Kill them while you have the chance! _

The wolf hesitated, taking another fleeting look at the heroes that surrounded him, his bloodlust forgotten.

He squirmed uncomfortably as Natasha looked down at him, noticing something wrong.

"But Jorry… what about Uncle Thor? Surely you speak not of him too!" the wolf pleaded aloud, "He's family!"

The wolf's pleading caught the attention of the heroes as they watched him.

_Shut Up, Brother! Of course, he's included! He was one of the reasons Father's plan failed! You __do __want to get revenge for Father, don't you?_

"B-but…"

_Just kill them! I demand you to do it at once!_

Fenrir clutched his head as Clint instantly released his hold on him.

Thor knelt down to reach his nephew's eye-level.

"Fenrir, what's wrong?"

His eyes shone with concern as the boy struggled against his touch.

"No! I won't hurt Uncle Thor or anyone else! I've had my fun and eaten my fill! I just want to go home!" the wolf argued.

Back in the caves, Jormungand gave a sneer.

_How __**DARE **__you fight me, Brother! After all I've done for you! _

He leaned back, closing his eyes and sent another spell into his brother's mind.

_Well, it seems as though you give me no choice._ _I only wish I could say that I was sorry._

The Serpent paused with a soft chuckle, feeling the spell implanting itself in his Brother's brain.

_But that would be __**lying**__._

Fenrir heard his brother's laugh resound in his mind, intertwined with a searing pain. He cried out, curling into a ball and clutching his head.

He pressed against his temples as hard as he could, but as fur began spreading across his body, he couldn't suppress it.

"Fenrir, what's happening?!" Thor called, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders.

The other heroes braced themselves. They knew outbursts of monstrosity well… sometimes more than they'd like to admit.

The giant wolf emerged once again, eyes as red as the blood that saturated the rest of him. The group stared for a moment, watching as the creature reared back its angry head and gave a howl.

"Fenrir!" Thor called, but that only attracted his attention.

Captain America was the one to push the Asgardian out of the way, as the wolf lunged forward.

As bone met metal, the shield rang out with a clang.

Fenrir shook his head, mouth closing about the shield. He shook his head aggressively, snatching the weapon and, like a Frisbee, he threw it to the ground.

He was about to chomp down when pain erupted in his shoulder. Stumbling clumsily, he turned around, giving the Captain just enough time to reach for his shield.

Natasha glanced sideways at her comrade with surprise.

"Keeping it old fashioned?" she asked, noticing the plain arrows that were sticking out of the wolf's shoulder.

Clint chuckled, giving a shrug.

"Guess it just seemed fitting." He replied, shooting another one into the wolf's back.

Thor watched with horrified eyes.

Surely his brother wasn't so cruel as to sacrifice his own children, would he?

The god couldn't bring himself to attack just yet.

He watched the beast gave another howl of pain as his jaws snapped blindly, surrounded by his allies.

This wasn't his dear nephew… a madness was what inherited the boy's body, and he had to stop it.

Gathering himself, the Asgardian flew forward, landing a powerful blow to the creature's head.

Black asphalt was pulled up from the creature's claws, as it was ripped off its paws and sent to the ground.

Fenrir scrambled to his feet, reaching out to grab the hammer with his fangs, only to receive another blow to the snout.

As the wolf went to get up this time, he heard a roar from behind him.

Glancing over his shoulder, he felt large hands wrap around him and he was being lifted off the street.

Fenrir struggled, trying to snap at the large hands that held him. Giving a fierce kick, he managed to scratch the green giant with his claws, causing the monster to throw him out towards the water.

He landed with a splash, panting; his body aflame with pain.

Jormungand sent more signals, but when they went ignored, he slithered out of the cavern. Luckily, he saw no mortals, only his brother lying in the water, being a_ failure_.

"Get up this _instant_!" he hissed, eyes narrowing at the wolf's broken form.

Fenrir looked up at his brother, shakily hauling himself to his feet.

"Brother _please_! They're too strong for me to handle on my own!" he whimpered, "But if you helped me, we could do it _together_! In Father's name, I know we could!"

Jormungand looked down at with a slow shake of his head.

"Now Fenny… you know I can't do that." He answered with mock sympathy, "Though, if you die here, I'm sure Hela will welcome you with open arms into Niflheim!"

Fenrir looked at his brother, ears turning in the direction of the rapidly approaching heroes.

They were coming.

Fenrir then glanced back.

"Brother, I don't understand what you're doing! Why won't you help me fight them if you desire their deaths as revenge?" the wolf asked.

Something was very wrong, and he didn't understand. He never knew what Jormungand was thinking. His worry would only grow worse as his little brother holed himself up in the library for hours, sometimes _days _at a time.

Oftentimes, he was frightened for his brother's well-being, seeing him skip out on meals or visits to see their Father, or the thin sheets of his bed remaining undisturbed from the night before… However, right now, he was frightened _of _his brother and the look that inhabited his ice blue eyes.

Fenrir looked up, as his brother broke into a serpentine smirk.

"What are you _actually _planning?" he managed, swallowing hard.

Jormungand was about to reply, when he sank back into the water.

Following his brother's gaze, Fenrir looked over to see the heroes making their way through the buildings.

_All will be revealed in time, Brother._

More pain then seared his thoughts and he suddenly found the strength return to his limbs.

Though something about it wasn't right.

As he felt stronger, he felt his mind clearing itself of everything; his name, where he was, why he was there… until he was pushed deep into the recesses of his own head.

He saw the Avengers with blind, red eyes and even more blind rage… and for some reason, he didn't care.

~O~O~O~O~O~

With blue eyes barely concealed above the surface of the water, Jormungand watched his brother attack once again.

He smirked, watching the heroes battle his, now _mindless_ sibling. It wasn't a fair fight, granted… but it was all part of the plan. His brother was stronger now and able to put up more of a struggle.

The wolf would fight himself to death if Jorry desired it, but his brother's passing wouldn't benefit him in the least.

Why use an army, if you had a monstrous beast who could fight with blind, enhanced strength at the tip of your claws?

Again, his Father knew not what he had in his arsenal.

Jorry didn't let it bother him. As ashamed as he was of his Father, he'd made it a point to surpass his Father in many ways, all with a certain grace that kept his claws clean.

Even so, as he watched the fight, there was one thing that escaped the Serpent's gaze… and that was the blood from his brother's fur slowly seeping, like an eel, through the water.


	10. Side By Side

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 9: Side by Side**_

"_Children need models more than they need critics."_

_~ Joseph Joubert_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Centuries ago))

"Come on, Fenrir! Jormungand! Hela!"

The children laughed, reaching forward to run alongside their Father, who held Sleipnir in his arms.

Loki looked down at his children, but seeing one absent, he glanced around, green eyes losing a bit of their usual luster.

"Where's Jormungand?" he asked.

The young wolf pup looked up, ears pulling tight against his head. He never liked seeing his Father upset; none of the children did.

"He's in the library again. He told me that he didn't want to go outside, because if you get too much sun, Midgardians will fly to Asgard and take you away!" the Wolf answered, changing into the form of a boy to tug at his Father's cloak.

Loki looked at his son, hearing the tale and, unable to help himself, he gave a laugh.

"Of course it's not true, child." He answered fondly, "Don't always believe what you're told, for stories are powerful things. That goes for all of you."

Fenrir and Hela looked up, as the wolf changed back into his usual form.

"Okay!" he replied happily, his tail wagging.

Sleipnir, too young to understand the advice, only gave a yawn, nuzzling his velvet snout under the Trickster's chin.

Loki chuckled, running a hand along the top of the colt's head.

"Finally awake, dearest?" he murmured fondly, watching as his youngest child's ears twitched, black tail swaying behind him.

"Mommy?" the colt whimpered, blinking wearily up at him.

Hela smiled.

"Hi Sleippy! Did you want to play with us?" she asked, stepping on her toes to try to pet the colt.

It had been such a wonderful thing after their Father took that long, nine-month trip to visit the stork's nest (or so they had been told). He seemed much happier when he came back with the grey colt in his arms. It didn't take long for the little family to grow closer as they all played their parts in taking care of the newest addition.

Hela was the biggest help. The girl knew responsibility from an early age as the All-Father began giving her lessons on ruling a realm and controlling the dead. Like death itself, she could be determined and forceful, taking what she wanted and using it to her own advantage, but she could also be compassionate and empathetic; caring for those in pain and taking them to a better place without suffering where they'd be happy. This compassion was what Loki relied on the most to raise Sleipnir. Fenrir taught the colt to run and play, while Jormungand (when he wasn't teaching himself) would help the boy with his homework after Loki gave him a lesson.

He smiled, despite regretting the means of their creation, loved his children more than he ever thought he would.

It was after the children tired themselves out playing, that he made his way towards the forbidden library.

With boots tapping down the stairs, he pushed through the already open doors, peering in warily.

"Jormungand?" Loki called, searching the dark room.

"I'm over here, Father!" answered a young voice out of the darkness.

Just as his eyes adjusted, all the candles instantly lit themselves and he found himself once again, blinking back spots.

However, through the haze, he spotted his son, curled up on one of the tables, tongue flickering with interest at the reading material in front of him.

The book was propped up as the boy read. _Concealment Spells _was what the title said.

"That's powerful magic, child." The Trickster pointed out.

The Serpent gave a nod.

"I know, Father." He replied, looking up.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, a mutual understanding settling in the air between them.

He understood his son; that studious look in his eyes as he took in every word of the spell book. His heart swelled with so much pride that he couldn't help but laugh at the similarities between them.

Puzzled by the Trickster's laughter, Jormungand looked up from his reading to eye his Father.

"Hast thou gone mad?" he asked, horrified by the thought, "Don't worry, Father! I-I know there's a spell in here _somewhere_!"

The boy changed into his teenage form to begin digging through the papers that lay strewn about the table.

Loki shook his head, simply reaching over to steady the boy's frantic hand.

"I'm fine, my son." He assured, as his son's blue eyes finally met his green, "Though, I feel that you're working _much _too hard. You should've joined us outside. The others definitely missed you… Especially Sleipnir."

Jorry just gave a nonchalant shrug.

"How am I supposed to live up to _your _skill level if I go outside?" the boy asked, "It all seems pointless, honestly."

The Trickster raised an eyebrow.

"Having fun is pointless?" he asked, "Now, that's where your wrong, son."

Jorry rolled his eyes with a groan.

"Father, I understand your love for mischief, but truthfully, I have the most fun _here_." He replied, "_Besides_, Uncle Thor used to tell me that you spent a lot of time in the library! That's why you're such a talented sorcerer! I want to be just like _you_!"

The older man gave a chuckle, pulling his son close.

"True as that may be… Uncle Thor probably left out all the hours I'd spent pranking him and his friends." He replied proudly, "There were several occasions where I got him good. You ought to ask him about the time I lured him into his own fox trap and he was hanging upside down for an hour."

He laughed at the memory as Jorry broke into his own, Cheshire-cat grin.

"You _really _did that?" the boy asked, fully facing his Father, completely enraptured by what he was being told.

Loki nodded.

"Of course I did! Would you doubt the God of Mischief?"

Jormungand shook his head fervently.

"O-of course not!" the boy answered, wrapping his arms around his Father, hugging him tight.

Loki smiled.

"Good lad… now let's go and eat dinner. You're not supposed to be in here." The god answered.

Jorry sighed.

"That never stopped me." He answered, beginning to put the papers and books away.

Loki chuckled.

"I know, my boy… I know."

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Present Day))

Sleipnir and Hela stared at the television. Pepper had joined them; all of them watching with their own concerns.

Seeing Fenrir take another blow, Hela shot up.

"I can't take it anymore. I'm going down there." She answered firmly, "I'm sick of seeing Fenny get hurt."

Sleippy looked up, instantly following his sister's example.

"I-I wanna go too!" he yelped, standing up.

Hela shook her head.

"No, Sleippy. I won't have you get hurt." She answered, "You're going to stay here with Ms. Potts!"

Sleipnir looked up at her, tears welling in his big, green eyes.

"What if _you _get hurt, Hela?" the boy whimpered.

Hela gave a laugh.

"Sleippy, you forget that I am the Goddess of Death. The worst that can happen is that I'm sent back to my realms." She answered, patting the boy on the head, "But then I just wait for you all to return."

Sleippy wiped his eyes, though, as Hela was about to pass through the door, Pepper's voice stopped her.

"You're not going out there, Hela."

The teenager frowned.

"I _have _to go! My brother is out there and he's getting hurt! Honestly, you can't expect me to just sit here and watch it on the enchanted _box_!" she argued.

"Of course I can! Just let Tony and the others handle it! I'm sure they won't hurt your brother!" Pepper pleaded, "Just come and sit down. If it upsets you, we can watch something else."

Hela shook her head stubbornly.

"I said _no!_" she shouted, her eyes now glowing a flaring red.

Pepper took a step back with a gasp.

The lights then began to flicker and as the redhead tried to reach for the girl, the odor of rotting flesh suddenly hit her senses.

"Hela, Sleipnir… what's going on?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from trembling.

Hela glanced back as several, rotting hands came through the walls to grab her.

Pepper screamed, struggling against the zombie hands, but they held her fast to her place on the floor.

Sleipnir trembled, running to his Sister for comfort.

Hela only sighed.

"Come on, Sleipnir. Let's go get our big brother back." She whispered, as she urged her brother into the elevator.

~O~O~O~O~O~

By the time they reached the beach, Fenrir lay on the ground, looking too weary to get up. The heroes lay on another part of the beach, exhausted from the battle. Hela gasped, unable to take in what she saw. Her brother really did this?

Seeing Fenrir, she ran forward, going to comfort him, when she felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her away from his side.

Hela gave a scream, struggling in the grasp that held her.

"Hela, there's no need to struggle! Hast thou forgotten thy Uncle already?"

In an instant, she stopped her struggle and sighed.

"Uncle Thor, you startled me!" she admitted, "But let me go! I have to see Fenrir!"

Thor shook his head.

"Nay, child. A madness has taken thy brother." The Thunderer explained.

Sleipnir joined them, trying to understand what was going on.

Hela frowned.

"Madness?"

She glanced back at her older brother.

"Please, call off your friends, Uncle Thor! I'm sure I can handle my brother." She begged.

Thor shook his head.

"I don't want you getting hurt." He answered.

Hela sighed.

"I don't wish to be treated like a mortal, Uncle Thor. Allow me to try with _my _army." She replied, "You wouldn't have to worry about any loss of life!"

She tried to give an innocent smile, but her Uncle didn't budge.

"Absolutely not." He answered, "I'll take no further risks of my kin getting hurt." –

"Well, then you wouldn't mind if I just killed the others?"

Thor and the others looked up to see Jormungand towering over them.

Instantly, Sleipnir lit up, galloping towards his brother.

"Jorry! Where have you been? We've missed you!" the boy exclaimed.

Hela looked up at her brother with a smile, almost missing his words.

"Jorry! I'm so glad you're here!" she sighed, "We have to take Fenny back to Asgard! Uncle Thor talks of a madness that has hi-… What do you mean _kill _them?"

She suddenly turned to face her brother complete.

Jormungand only smirked.

"Surely I need not to spell it out for you, Sister." He answered calmly, "You understand death _much _better than I will."

Hela pushed herself between her two brothers, her eyes casting a fleeting glance to the heroes.

Seeing her beloved Captain America being tired and worn from the battle drove her nerves to a fray.

"Jorry, I don't know _what _you're doing, but call it off!" She shouted, her eyes dissolving into orbs of red, "It's not their time, let them go!"

Jorry ignored her, only gathering his claws together, an orb of light forging between them as he then shot the beam of light to surround the rest of the Avengers.

The Serpent laughed, bringing his clawed hands together, sounds of discomfort filling the air as he slowly focused on crushing them with his power.

He toyed with them for a bit, watching them in pain under his grasp. Hela looked up at her brother.

"Jorry, stop it!" she pleaded, "Don't hurt them!"

Thor looked up, and grabbing Mjölnir, he swung the hammer over his head and launched himself into the air. He went to the light surrounding his allies, but nothing he did had any effect.

The Asgardian looked to the Serpent; his nephew, trying not to believe that this was of his own doing. Some outside force took hold of the children, making them do these things. Yes, that must've been it! He refused to believe otherwise.

Hela's gaze went to Captain America, the man writhing in pain under her Brother's magical grip.

"Stop it, Jorry! You're hurting him!" she begged, "It's not his time to die! Release him!"

The Serpent's gaze drifted downwards, and then to rest on the captured heroes. A smirk crawled upon his snout, fangs gleaming in the sunlight.

"Hela… you have feelings for this mortal, don't you?"

Watching his sister go bright red, he laughed.

"You're just as foolish as Uncle Thor." He pointed out, glancing back at the Thunder god.

Thor grumbled, tightening his grip on Mjölnir's leather handle.

"I wish not to hurt you, Jormungand… but you're leaving me no choice!" he shouted.

The sorcerer laughed.

"Well, what's keeping you then?" he asked, "I doubt you'll have much luck bringing me down. You have _no_ idea what you're up against, Uncle."

Jormungand readied another spell for his Uncle, his eyes just _daring_ him to make another move, but Hela stopped the warrior from taking any steps forward.

"He's right, Uncle Thor…" she replied, defeated, as she reached to grab her Uncle's crimson cape.

She knew of his ignorance towards magic, and she wasn't going to take any chances.

"I'll try to hold him off here! Only Father can counter Jormungand's magic. It's very powerful, very _evil _magic."

Thor's frown deepened, watching the Serpent crush them further within his magic.

Seeing her Uncle's hesitation, Hela's eyes widened, begging him to retrieve her Father.

In her times of trouble, it was all Hela ever thought of doing. Having him in prison was hard for all of the siblings, and perhaps her compassion just wasn't enough this time.

"Please, Uncle Thor?" she whimpered, "Sleipnir can take you there."

Thor sighed as he glanced back at the colt.

Sleipnir trotted over to him, lowering his head and compressing his ears as he gave a snort.

The Thunder god allowed himself the briefest of smiles as he pet the colt's head.

"Alright, Sleipnir. Take me back to Asgard."

With a whinny, Sleipnir changed into a massive steed; the ride of his Father.

Sleipnir was the one steed who could travel across the shards of the broken rainbow bridge, to different realms. He is the only one able to visit Hel as well. He was the finest of horses, and Thor felt proud to call him his nephew.

"Let's go retrieve my Brother."

Throwing himself onto the horse's back, Sleipnir reared back onto his hind legs and, sensing the broken shards of the Bifröst, he disappeared on his trip to the other realm.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Hela sighed with relief as her Uncle and her younger brother vanished.

She then turned her attention to her serpentine brother.

"Jormungand, I've tried to be kind, but I _know_ you and Fenrir. Just stop this." She asked, trying to be rational, "You have more sense than this."

Jormungand gave an annoyed groan, finally releasing the heroes. They collapsed, broken to the ground, much to the sorcerer's amusement.

"Perhaps I do… but there are many things you don't know." He answered, "But, as I said to our _dearest _Fenrir… All will be revealed. Just wait until Father gets here."

"What _about _Father?"

Hela narrowed her eyes, suddenly fearing for her Father's safety.

Jormungand only chuckled, leaning his head down and taking another, large gulp of the briny water, still not realizing the presence of the mortal blood that seeped through it; the metallic taste concealed by the salt.

"All in time, Sister." He answered, making his way up the beach, one thumping step at a time.

Hela shook her head, casting one more glance at the fallen Captain.

"I can't let you do that, Brother." She answered, "Kind as Uncle Thor is, I have no problems with killing you."

Eyes glowing red, the ground began to shake and cracks began forming.

Hela lifted her arms, bringing forth her legion of the undead as they pulled themselves from the cracks. All of them were different, armed with swords, axes, and shields. Proudly, Hela stood as the ruler of her two realms; a ruler who was done trying to plead and ask forgiveness. She knew full well, the dangers of summoning the damned souls, but this was important. She could only hope that the All-Father would understand her desperation.

"I doubt that your feeble magic can break the spirits of the dead." She taunted.

"You underestimate me, Hela." He replied, taking another gulp of water.

She looked up, staring into her brother's eyes, as she sent the animated corpses into their own battle.

In his blue eyes, she saw streaks of red… and she gasped.

Already, she knew that she was in _way_ over her head and it was about to get much worse.

_Please be back soon, Uncle Thor_.

It was all she could manage, as she fully turned to gaze upon her legion, watching them slash away at her brother's iron-like scales.

Mortals screamed behind her, but she ignored it; her heart pulsing in her ears.

She had never before experienced battle, but now she found herself in the middle. She only wished that it wasn't against her own flesh and blood… but she supposed that in the heat of battle, you don't have the luxury of choosing your enemies.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated! The USB ports on my computer broke, and I had to send it in for repairs! I hope you enjoy the chapter though!))


	11. Reunited

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 10: Reunited**_

"_While we teach our children all about life, _

_our children teach us what life is all about."_

_~ Angela Schwindt_

~O~O~O~O~O~

The instant Thor and Sleipnir reached Asgard, their first destination was the dungeon. Sleipnir changed into his human form as they approached the guards who stood at the black gate. They eyed the Thunder god as he approached.

In an instant, they stopped the pair.

"What business dost thou have here, my Lord?"

Thor straightened himself to his full height.

"I'm here to see my brother. Tis an important matter, so make haste."

The guards nodded, opening the gate with a creak and leading him into the prison.

Sleipnir reached out, grabbing his Uncle's hand tightly, following them through the familiar halls of the prison.

"How are we going to get Mommy out of here?" he asked.

Thor hesitated. He hadn't really _had _a plan. That was his brother's thing. Thor's plans usually consisted of going in, hammer drawn, saying something about being the Son of Odin, and smashing things. It was sound and worked 85% percent of the time. That was good enough for him.

"If it's to save Midgard, I'm sure my Father will understand." He replied. It was honestly the most he could manage.

Sleippy nodded with blind trust.

"Okay."

There was something about Grandpa, and Uncle Thor said it, so the logic was sound to him!

If there was anyone who could help his Mommy, it was Uncle Thor!

The colt looked up, grabbing the man's hand. He looked uneasy, but Sleippy didn't know why. The cell became so familiar to the lad, he barely even recognized the grim condition that it was kept in. He always just followed the guards and waited to see his Mommy; nothing to it!

He was sure that Mommy would be happy to see Uncle Thor. They _were _brothers after all, and even though he said mean things about him, Sleippy could understand that Mommy was just sad. He fumbled in his pocket, checking to see that his Mom's present was still there. Feeling the smooth surface brush against his fingertips, he grinned.

As they approached the familiar cell, the pair watched as it was opened. Sleippy grinned, excited to give his Mommy the present.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" he exclaimed, running into the cell and wrapping his arms about the prisoner's waist.

Thor watched, filled with a sudden humility, as he stood; the door locked behind him.

From over the top of the colt's head, Loki's eyes drifted to his brother.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

The Trickster wasn't expecting such a guest. The Thunder god visited on occasion, but with such rarity that he was always surprised by them.

"I actually come here with a request, Brother." Thor answered, though seeing Loki break into a smirk; he felt his insides grow uneasy.

"A request?"

Loki chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with the familiar mischief of their youth.

"How do you expect me to _help_ you? My surroundings are a bit... _lacking_."

Green eyes looked about the crowded cell.

Thor's frown deepened.

"This is about your children, Loki. Now is _not _the time for your sarcasm." He muttered.

Loki chuckled, releasing his embrace on Sleipnir.

Despite the fear that fluttered in his chest, he remained calm. He knew something bad was happening to his kids.

"What about them? Are you just _jealous_?" he asked, breaking into a smirk, "For once, have the tables turned?"

Thor stood strong, his eyes remaining on his brother.

"Nay, brother. I want to know _why _you'd send your children to Midgard!" he demanded, "They're killing people!"

Loki rolled his eyes.

"Thor, you _know _the lives of your beloved mortals mean nothing to me. My children can hold their own against a couple of Midgardians."

Thor's eyes narrowed.

"They're also killing _each other_."

That silenced the Trickster from his next snarky comment, knocking the words from his throat. Awkwardness filled the air, but Loki was the first to break it as he stared up at his stepbrother.

"Let me guess… you want _me _to go down there and make everything okay?"

Thor nodded.

"If not for me or for Midgard, do it for your own flesh and blood." The Thunderer reasoned.

Loki remained silent, his eyes lowering to the top of his son's head.

The colt looked up, giving him a grin, hugging him around the waist again.

The Sorcerer frowned, hugging the boy tighter as Thor looked on expectantly. He was growing impatient for this answer.

Finally, Loki looked up.

"No."

Thor took a step back, taken aback by the heartless reply.

Fumbling for his words, he opened his mouth, trying to respond.

Loki merely watched him, shaking his head.

"Don't take my response as callousness, Thor. I see it as an opportunity." He continued, "Besides, what's the worst that could happen? My children _die_?"

The Trickster watched as Thor shifted uncomfortably, enjoying every second of it. It had been too long since he held such control in his hands and he was going to relish it.

"You forget that my daughter is the Goddess of Death. I could see my children whenever I wish!" he laughed.

Sleipnir, oblivious to what they were talking about, laughed along with his Mother.

"Yeah, Mommy can see us whenever he wants!" he agreed happily.

Thor's frown deepened.

"Well, then I see no reason for me to be here. Come on, Sleipnir. We'll go lend my comrades whatever aid we can manage." He muttered.

Sleipnir hesitated, looking between the pair.

"B-but I never gave Mommy his present!" he exclaimed, looking back to Loki, "Mommy, I have your present!"

Loki gave a smile.

"Later, dear one." He replied, "I'm sure it's lovely."

Sleipnir nodded excitedly.

"It's really shiny, Mommy! You'll love it!"

"I know, child." He answered, stroking the boy's hair.

He glanced at Thor challengingly.

_I have all the time in the world._

"Sleipnir, we must return." Thor said, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice.

His friends were running out of time and he needed to get back to them before Jormungand caused any more havoc.

Loki chuckled, knowing that tense, nervous look in his Brother's eyes. He knew that look _all_ too well.

"You'd really separate my son from his mother, _Uncle Thor_?" he mocked, "He just got here."

Thor gave an impatient growl.

"You _know _I'm running out of time." He argued, "You know that _full _well! A-and what do you mean 'opportunity'?"

Loki didn't reply, but only knelt down to meet his son's gaze, completely ignoring Thor's response.

"What do you think I should do, Sleipnir? _Does _Uncle Thor deserve my help?"

Sleipnir nodded without hesitation, much to the Thunderer's satisfaction.

"I think you should, Mommy. Plus Fenny, Hela, and Jorry need your help too! Fenny is hurt!" the colt exclaimed.

The Trickster took a moment to consider before standing up and turning to Thor.

"Fine."

Thor was about to respond, when Loki lifted a hand to silence him.

"On _one _condition…"

Thor paused.

"I should've known…" he muttered, "What is it?"

Straightening to his full height, Loki stared at his brother.

"I want my freedom from here."

The Thunder god settled, unsurprised by his brother's response.

"I'll talk to Father about-."

Pushing Sleipnir to the side, Loki lunged forward, grabbing Thor by the collar of his armor.

"I want a _guarantee_, Thor. A simple promise of impossibility won't incline me to save your _pathetic _mortals. I want a guarantee of my freedom. I want out of this cell." He snarled, an animalistic sneer on his face.

Thor looked at him calmly, unsurprised by the outburst. He shook his head.

"You know I can't do that, Brother."

Loki gave another snarl.

"Don't call me that to try and win me over, _Odinson_. If you can't guarantee me out of here, then we have no deal."

He released his grip on Thor, settling back and making his way back to the cot that sat near the back of the cell.

Thor growled.

"I won't break the rules for you, Brother… but I _will _speak to Father on your behalf," he answered.

He turned on his heel, knocking on the door of the cell to be let out.

"My visit here is done, but I _will _return." He answered, glancing back over to his brother and nephew.

Loki just watched him, frowning.

"Go with your uncle, Sleipnir. I'm sure he'll return victorious as usual." He muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Thor didn't respond, but rather watched as Sleipnir ran over, grabbing his hand.

"See you later, Mommy!" he exclaimed, waving.

Loki smiled, though it quickly turned sinister as he met Thor's eyes.

The Thunder god just walked out with Sleipnir in tow, watching the guards shut the cell behind him. His Brother really _had _changed…

~O~O~O~O~O~

He strode with long strides to his Father's room.

Seeing the thick doors, he paused, looking down at Sleipnir.

"You stay here, little one." He ordered, "I'm just going to speak with the All-Father."

Sleippy tilted his head to the side, but smiled back nonetheless.

"Okay, Uncle Thor." He answered, sitting down at the guards' feet, crossing his legs under him.

The Thunderer smiled, as he proceeded to pass the guards and push the massive doors aside.

Inside the golden room sat Odin, the All-Father. Frigga sat next to him, a gentle smile finding her lips.

Odin glanced over, no other emotion on his face.

"What can I do for you, my son?" he asked.

Without hesitation, Thor spoke.

"I want to free Loki and take him back to Midgard with me."

Frigga gasped, bringing her hand to her lips.

"But what would prompt that?" she asked, "True, Loki is your brother, but he also needs to be punished."

She frowned, pained at her own reality.

Odin nodded, putting an arm around her.

"That's right. Hast thou forgotten thy Brother's sins against the Nine Realms?"

Thor stood his ground.

"Of course. I haven't forgotten, Father… but Midgard is in trouble. Jormungand-"

Odin gave a sneer.

"I thought it would be that one causing trouble." He muttered.

Thor's eyebrows rose with interest.

"You _knew _this was going to happen?" he breathed.

The Thunder god took several steps forward, listening as Odin cleared his throat.

"I had a hunch." He replied, "That boy is too much like his Father to be completely off the hook."

Thor frowned.

"Then why would you let them go to Midgard?" he asked, "If you saw that he was going to cause so much trouble…"

Odin sighed tiredly.

"Because I didn't want to believe that my _grandchildren _should be judged by their own blood."

Thor's expression softened as he made his way to his Father, laying a hand on his.

"I believed in giving them a chance, just as I did to your brother… but once again, I'm proven wrong." He muttered.

"Father, do not blame yourself for this." Thor sympathized.

Odin only sighed.

"Take your brother. His freedom is granted."

Thor looked up at his Father, surprised.

"But you'll bring his children to me. Understood?"

He looked up at Thor, his tired gaze now filled with intensity.

The Thunder god nodded with understanding.

"Of course, Father." He answered, "I understand."

Odin gave his son a smile.

"I knew you would. Just go save Midgard… and your friends."

Thor returned the smile, patting his Father's hand fondly before turning back around to leave the room, a satisfied grin lining his golden features.

As the doors opened, Sleipnir stood up, running over to him.

"How'd it go, Uncle Thor?" he asked.

Thor smiled.

"It went very well. Let's go get your Father and we'll head back to Midgard." He answered.

Sleipnir's eyes lit up.

"Does that mean Mommy's free?" he asked excitedly.

Thor patted the boy's head, as they headed back to the area of the dungeons.

"Yes, little one. Loki is free."

~O~O~O~O~O~

As the cell opened, Loki already stood at the door of the cell, a smirk on his face. He never had to guess who's heavy, clumsy footsteps were approaching. He'd be able to recognize them anywhere.

"So, the All-Father _really _granted my freedom… the old _fool_."

Loki chuckled, watching Thor bristle at his comment.

"We had a _deal_, Brother. You help me save Midgard and you bring your children back here."

Loki waved him off.

"Yes, yes… keep ruining my celebratory moment, why don't you?" he asked bitterly.

Thor wilted a bit.

He really _was _happy to see his beloved brother out of the cell, and he smiled, putting a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry… if it means anything, I _am _happy for you, Brother." He managed.

Loki looked up at him, speechless for a moment before pulling away.

"Your pity means _nothing _to me, Thor. Let's just go retrieve my children. I don't want them getting any more hurt." He grumbled.

Thor nodded, as they were led out of the dungeons.

"Me neither…"

~O~O~O~O~O~

It had been such a long time since Loki had laid eyes on the Bifröst, and for a moment, he smiled despite himself.

Sleipnir changed into the big, black steed, and as Loki pulled his eyes away from the pulsing bridge, he climbed on, behind his brother.

"Are you ready, Sleipnir?" he asked.

The horse gave a snort, bucking his head eagerly.

The two brothers, with a gentle kick to the sides, sent the steed off to a running start, and with a great leap, over the gap of the regenerating rainbow bridge.

Heimdall was always watching her as she continued rebuilding. The bridge's pulse lit up with every step the horse took, and he landed on the other side, heading down to Midgard.

Loki smiled with pride, beaming down at his son.

Though the emotion faded quickly as his mind drifted to his other children. He could only _imagine _the chaos they were causing… he only hoped that it wouldn't get them into the trouble that Loki had just escaped.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Hela watched as her legion of the dead continued slashing at Jormungand, who only stood, still as a statue, unfazed by the swords and blades that cut into him; hacking away. He just watched them, eyes fully dissolving into a blood red.

His muscles shook, trembling as he gripped his head. The Serpent gave a roar of pain, clenching his eyes shut.

As he was distracted, Hela ran over to Fenrir, cradling the large snout in her hands.

"Fenny, are you all right?" she asked, stroking his fur lovingly.

The wolf gave a groan, licking his chops and nuzzling into her lap.

Hela smiled.

"Feeling better?" she asked, "Father will be here soon."

At the mention of their Father, the wolf gave a jolt.

Hela stood with surprise, wrapping her arms around his snout.

"It's okay, Fenny. I'm here." She murmured.

He shook from her grasp.

"Fenny, what's the matter? Turn human so you can talk to me!"

The wolf took a fleeting glance in Jormungand's direction, before doing as he was told.

"Why did you get Dad? He's in danger!"

Hela's eyes went wide with confusion.

"What do you _mean_?" she asked, frantically.

Fenrir only looked down at her with as much confusion and panic in his yellow eyes as in her purple.

"I-I don't know. I can just _feel _it." He muttered, "But we _have _to save Dad."

Hela sighed.

She didn't want to believe it, but taking another glance at her other Brother, she felt tears welling in her eyes.

"I know." She replied, "But right now, we have _more _problems right now…"

She glanced at Jorry once again, watching him quickly come to.

"I saw his eyes, Fenny. They were streaked red." She explained.

Fenrir sank back, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"Geez, not _again_…" he muttered, "Why was he in battle? He _knows _better!"

Hela sighed, watching as Fenrir hauled himself to his feet.

"Then I'm going to stop him." He growled, "I just wish I didn't have to…"

Hela frowned, standing up and running her fingers through her brother's hair sympathetically.

He changed back into the monstrous wolf and made his way through the attacking dead, calmly as anything; tail swaying side to side.

When he got in yards of his brother, he leapt, teeth bared and eyes locked on the Serpent's neck.

As Fenrir opened his mouth, he was pushed back by a force of heat and he collapsed to the ground.

Hela ran forward, seeing the blast. All her warriors were reduced to sizzling piles of ash in the sand; in the middle of the ash, stood her Brother, the Serpent.

With the cracking of joints, Jormungand turned his head, glancing between his two siblings.

His eyes were now crimson and filled with madness.

Her brother was sick, and they needed to help him.

Jormungand smirked.

"I _know _what you're thinking, Hela. You're afraid of the blood madness…" he replied, forked tongue flickering through his lips, "But don't worry… I have it _all _under control."

Hela clenched her fists.

"You _can't _keep it under control, Jorry! That's why it's a _madness_!" she yelled.

With groans, she heard the heroes coming to. She watched her Brother's eyes drift over to them.

"Don't _touch _them!" she shouted, "Just stop this and come home! We can be a family again! I'm sure the All-Father will release Dad with the help of Uncle Thor! We-"

She broke off as her Brother began to laugh.

Fenrir got back up, fur singed at the edges.

"You really think we can be a family after all this?" he chuckled, "_Please_… we were _never _a family. I mean, do you _know _who our Father is?"

The siblings were stunned into a shocked silence.

"I know that you know. We've grown up with it following us like a ghost. When he was locked away, things only got worse." He continued, a smirk lining his features, "Which is _why _I need to **kill** him."

The siblings watched as their brother changed into his vulnerable, human form, giving them a smile. Fenrir snarled in response, also transforming.

"Why are you _telling _us this?" he growled, "This is the madness talking, Brother!"

Jormungand took several paces forward, reaching his hand out to them.

"Is it? Is it _really _the madness? Perhaps the reason I don't go near blood is because I wouldn't risk my neck, knowing I'm destined for something greater, hmm?" the serpent suggested, "Everyone needs to think outside the book once in a while!"

He chuckled under his breath, as his siblings continued watching his every move.

"Now, why don't you just _join_ me? We could kill Father and rule, not only Jotunheim, but Hel, and Niflheim! With powers like that, it would only be a matter of time until we ruled Asgard and the other realms as well! We could do what Father was _too _frightened to do!"

_Then no one would look down on my beloved._

"Why do you think? Would you help me with this? Helping your own brother?"

Fenrir hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. Hela gasped, reaching out to grab his hand.

"Fenny, what are you _thinking_?! We have to stop him before he kills Father!" she hissed.

Fenrir pulled from her grip, ignoring her, as he continued walking towards his younger brother.

The Serpent smiled darkly.

"I know you'd see it _my _way." He replied.

Hela watched, moving closer to the downed heroes.

Fenrir moved closer to his brother, and in a flash of teeth, Fenrir transformed, grabbing his Brother's arm in his jaws.

Jormungand flinched with a grunt of pain, but remained steady; pungent blood leaking down his forearm.

"Come now, Brother… _surely _you know not to put things in your mouth! Father's told you that countless times!" the Serpent mocked, tearing his arm forcefully from his sibling's mouth, ripping the flesh and sending more metallic scent into the air.

Jormungand's eyes dilated as he threw himself forward, tan skin dissolving into scales. His claws were bared as he prepared to slash his sibling across the face.

His eyes were unseeing… no longer tied down by the points of reason that ruled his existence so firmly. He had become a _true monster_.

Fenrir held firmly, blocking the Serpent's attacks as he tried to protect the heroes from the danger they could only imagine. In this state, Jormungand didn't know friend from foe… or at least he didn't care. The little family had been too afraid to find out.

With a sudden pump of adrenaline, Jormungand managed to pin the Wolf to the ground; his claws digging into the sand around him.

Acidic venom dripped from the Serpent's jaws as he leaned forward, ready to devour his brother whole.

But before he could do anything, a voice captured his attention.

"ENOUGH!"

The Serpent tore his focus from his struggling brother to see, who else, but his Father and Uncle there, riding atop the Eight-Legged steed.

Jormungand gave a sneer, despite the satisfaction that ran through his veins.

As disgusted as he was to see them, there was one thing he couldn't deny.

Finally… his plan was nearing completion.


	12. Like Son, Like Father

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 11: Like Son, Like Father**_

"_Parents hold their childrens' hands for a while; their hearts forever."_

_~ Anonymous_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Climbing off the horse, Loki ran over, his eyes wide with horror at the destruction his son had caused. Whether it was the blood that stained the golden sands of the beach or the heroes fallen to the side.

The Serpent watched him, then gave a laugh, his mouth opening to a venomous grin.

"Riding atop the Eight-Legged Steed like a _true _son of Odin… I don't know whether to be impressed or disappointed." Jormungand chuckled, his eyes fixed on his Father, "Daddy let you ride his horse?"

Loki looked up, biting his lip.

"Jormungand! Stop this right now! As your Father, I demand that you end this and come home!" he shouted.

The Serpent paused his laughter, rolling his eyes, and with a flickering of a forked tongue, they narrowed.

"Why should I listen to you, _Odinson_?" he asked, voice coming in with a hiss. He made sure to say the last name with distaste.

Loki straightened himself.

"Because I'm your father, that's why!" he argued, "Now come home with your Uncle and me!"

The Serpent raised an eyebrow at him, chuckling. He saw his Father's green eyes pleading, full of a sincerity that most thought him incapable of… it only brought a wider grin to Jormungand's face; the madness furthering itself in his brain as he smelled the blood in the air.

"You speak to me as though I'm a Midgardian child." He replied casually, slithering his tail out of the water and into a circle around the Trickster. "What makes you think I'll listen?"

Thor tightened his grip on Mjölnir, but in a swift movement, Loki reached back. With a simple spell, the Thunderer found his feet glued to the ground.

"He's my son. I'll handle this, Brother." He replied coldly, "You just evacuate the Midgardians and get your friends out of here."

The Thunder god frowned, reluctantly tucking his hammer back into his belt. He glanced to the side to see Hela motioning to him as she used her remaining zombies to help carry the fallen Avengers off to safety. She didn't want them getting any more hurt.

Thor swung the hammer over his head and flew into the town in order to get them away from the danger.

Loki glanced behind him, smiling at the fact that his brother trusted him enough, but then he fully faced Jormungand.

"What's going on, Son? Why cause this carnage and bloodshed?"

He tilted his head to the side, puzzled.

"If it wasn't to kill the Avengers, then why are you even here?"

Jormungand released Fenrir to fully face his Father.

"I was _waiting _for that question." He replied, "But the answer simply, is to prove that I'm greater than you ever were."

Loki's expression darkened.

"If I recall correctly, _child_… you're not the 'god' of anything." The Trickster stated, "Even _I _am the god of mischief. Quite the achievement if you ask me."

Jormungand's lip raised to expose a row of sharp, yellow teeth.

"It doesn't mean as much as you think… especially if I kill you." the Serpent answered.

Loki's eyes widened, and he took a step back.

"Father, don't listen to him! It's the blood madness!" Fenrir shouted, catching the breath that was knocked out of him.

The Trickster frowned, his eyes staring down at his boots.

"Countless times I've told you that you have to control that," he muttered under his breath.

He could feel the disappointment rolling off himself in waves.

Jormungand watched him for a moment. Seeing his head and shoulders droop; seeing his Father grow so quiet… it was disappointing and it made him uneasy.

"Nothing to say, Trickster? Come on… I've seen you talk your way out of _much _worse than this!" the Serpent prodded, trying to get a reaction from the man in front of him.

Calmly, he wrapped his tail around his Father, going to grasp him, though the figure in front of him disappeared and he pulled back with a sneer.

"Where _are _you, Odinson? You can't hide forever!" he snarled angrily, "Come out and fight me!"

Seeing his Mother vanish into thin air, Sleipnir called out to him, but Hela snatched him; trying to keep him as far away from the fray as she could. This wasn't the colt's battle, and she didn't want him to get involved.

Thrashing his head from side to side, he tried to find him. He knocked over umbrellas, chairs, and a lifeguard tower to find him.

Seeing his Brother distracted once again, Fenrir stood up.

"Leave Dad alone!" he growled, "We're a family! We should be there for him and celebrate his freedom!"

Jormungand turned to his wolfish sibling and throwing his head back, he laughed.

"He wouldn't _have _that freedom if _I _hadn't planned for it!" he growled, "Father is no one worth looking up to! He's a _failure_!"

Fenrir clenched his teeth together, listening to his Brother's words; refusing to believe them. The Sorcerer watched his Brother's reactions. It was all too much fun to stop now.

"He couldn't even take over Midgard and disable a few mortals! A simple paralysis spell was _all _he needed…" he replied, "Granted, it _could _do permanent damage, but who really c_ares _about these stupid creatures? Dad just doesn't understand his priorities."

"Then why don't you enlighten me?"

Jormungand watched as Loki stepped out from behind one of the umbrellas that lined the beach. A smirk curled at his scaled lips as he saw him.

"About _time _you showed yourself, corward!" he remarked, "So now I can teach you about _true _ambition!"

Loki furrowed his brow, taking in all that was going on; suddenly feeling a sudden sympathy for his older brother.

Was this what Thor felt during their battle? Did he feel the grating, threat of heartbreak as he watched his loved one destroy himself?

It was almost too much.

"What is it that you want?" Loki asked, his tone defeated.

The younger sorcerer let out a frustrated growl.

"I wish to rule the Nine Realms!" he snarled, "Not just Midgard or Jotunheim! I mean, why stop there, when I can rule _all _of them?!"

Loki remained calm.

"No… what is it you _really _want?" he asked, "Is it that Jotun you're in love with?"

At the mention of Nessa, Jormungand paused, eyes wide. A few blue streaks broke through the red… a sign of recognition.

Seeing this, Loki smirked.

"Yes, that Jotun girl; the one who can't change her skin tone like others of her race. Freyr's sister in law… the one my Father banned from Asgard."

As he spoke, the Serpent watched him, eyes fixed on the Trickster as though he was a snake charmer. He even rocked back and forth on his feet as though he was one.

"Leave her out of this!" Jormungand hissed, "I don't bring her into my battles!"

Loki allowed himself a chuckle.

For a moment, he felt like he was looking in a mirror. He knew these emotions _all _too well.

"No you don't." he corrected, "You take her with you wherever you go. Trust me, I know a lot more than you think."

The red dissolved the blue color of Jormungand's eyes like acid; the madness was strong. It always had been.

"Oh, you do?" he asked, "So you know from our conversation. That doesn't mean you understand!"

The god of mischief smirked.

"Not only from our conversation. And not only by raising you, either." He replied, "I've been through it, Son. I know _exactly _what you're thinking. Even simple tricksters carry goals into battle with them."

Jormungand stayed still, an eyebrow raised. Blue, once again, bled back into his eyes.

"And what is it that _you _carry with you?" he asked, forked tongue flickering again.

Loki took a deep breath.

"It's family, Jormungand." He admitted, "Family, acceptance, and respect. Things I never thought I had until I had a chance to think in the dungeons of Asgard."

Jormungand scoffed.

"That's really it?" he asked, "That's all there was to that great scheme of yours? Trying to take hold of those aliens and the Hulk? It was just for _family_?!"

Loki merely nodded.

The Serpent looked at him, expecting a laugh or the punch-line of the joke, but none came. Then he grew angry.

"I always knew you were weak… but I didn't know how _much _so." Jormungand hissed, "With all of that power at your fingertips… all of those people you could've used and stepped on… you just wanted something you already had. Something you didn't even have to fight for."

He looked up at the sky for a moment, picturing the other realms for a moment before glancing back down.

"This is why I'm ashamed to call you my Father."

Loki winced, for once, words cutting into his soul.

"Man, that's _harsh_!"

Jormungand groaned in annoyance at the sound of the familiar voice, though he didn't turn around.

"Hey! We're talkin' to you!"

Hearing the rude tone, the Serpent spun around angrily, only to be met face first with a burning explosion at his eyes.

He roared with pain, clawing at his face. When he finally opened his crimson eyes, he spotted the Avengers, looking untouched.

"B-but how did you-?!"

He searched them for answers, only to see Hela stand up, looking satisfied. The Sorcerer leered at her with disgust.

She only stood unafraid… almost cocky.

"You forget that I'm the Goddess of Death, Brother. I can take away life and grant it… to a certain degree." She replied, "I must protect my realms you know."

She shot the Captain a quick glance, before smirking at her older brother.

Jormungand only growled, looking at the heroes that crowded around his Father; not as enemies, but as _allies_.

Stark was the first to step forward.

"So, let me get this straight, Godzilla. You've not only pissed of all the Avengers, but your daddy, little sister, _and _big-brother-is-watching…" he pointed out, "You have a worse track record than this guy!"

He reached out, punching Loki in the arm, causing the demi-god to shoot him a glare.

Despite that, Stark remained unfazed, though a smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

"It's too bad. You're not even old enough to drink, kiddo. Otherwise I would've offered."

Jormungand growled lowly, shooting forward, as the heroes scattered.

From what seemed like every direction, there was pain; the stinging of bullets, an exploding arrow to the face, and the repeated battering of the others. It threw blood into the air and drove the serpent mad as he tried to counter their barrage of attacks.

He thrashed about, trying to catch one of them, but with no luck. They were like termites, distracting him from his _true _target.

"Get out of my way!" he snarled, swinging his body around in a blind attempt to knock several of them off their feet. Feeling one of them make contact with the ground, he smirked, turning to look upon his fallen prey. His eyes locked on the fallen Captain. He chuckled, pinning the man to the ground.

"Oh, this _will _hurt, I assure you." he replied, reaching down to decapitate his shaking victim, when an angry roar rippled behind him. Strong hands wrapped around his neck, and he struggled against the monster that held his throat.

"Let _go _of me, you mindless creature!" he demanded, twisting his body around the green torso, trying to squeeze as the same amount of life from the creature that returned the favor.

The monster gave another roar as he grabbed the spines of the Serpent's back, tearing at them. Blood poured down the Serpent's back like tiger stripes as he squirmed out of the Hulk's grasp.

He fell onto the sand, the small grains stinging at every wound, as he caught his breath. Dust covered their battlefield as sand fell from the air, and dust covered the fields of their vision. Panting, he scanned the group, taking in the silhouettes exhausted heroes as blood continued pouring down his scales and onto the sand.

"You're all _fools_!" he roared, "You don't know _what _you're fighting for! Absolutely mindless creatures you are!"

"You underestimate them, child." Loki answered, walking out of the clouds that had been thrown into the air, and taking his place next to Thor. "If they were mindless, there's no way they could band together like this. Like a _family_."

Hearing the word, the Serpent tensed.

"Your words mean _nothing_, Trickster!" Jormungand shot back, "This is a band of rag-tag mortals that are binding together to fulfill their own, selfish sense of purpose! Each one of them!"

He snarled, and with a fit of anger, he reached forward, striking his Father to the ground. The God of Mischief didn't dodge the blow, but allowed himself to be thrown to the ground like a rag doll.

Out of his peripherals, Loki saw Sleipnir break from Hela's hold and run forward in front of him.

"What are you hurting them for?!" the Colt pleaded, "Stop it!"

Jormungand looked down, his attention now shifting to his youngest sibling.

He chuckled, eyeing the young boy suspiciously.

"Dearest little brother… you really know _nothing _of what's going on…" he remarked.

Sleipnir trembled, but stood in front of Loki protectively; his arms splayed out like wings to shield the fallen man.

"I know that you're trying to hurt Mommy and I won't let you!" the boy shouted; his green eyes focused and determined.

Jormungand analyzed him for a moment, then laughed.

"It's true, Sleipnir." He answered, "Yet, there's just so _much _you're missing."

Without turning his head, he reached out to stop his sister in her tracks. She had stepped forward to retrieve Sleipnir, but with a ball of fire shooting from his claws, she found herself surrounded and unable to move.

"We're _talking_, Hela. Wait your turn!" the Serpent spat.

He took a calm breath, focusing his attention back on the boy in front of him; some of the blue returning to his eyes.

Loki stood up shakily, leaning against Thor for support. The Thunderer was all too happy to oblige. Leaning his weight against his Brother, Loki leaned on him.

"Take your friends and go. I want to handle this on my own." The Trickster demanded.

Thor hesitated.

"Art thou sure?" he asked, laying a hand on his Brother's shoulder.

The last thing he wanted to do was leave Loki to a battle he couldn't win. His Brother never _had _been the most accomplished in battle, and, even though it was family, Thor wasn't sure if he could handle it.

But despite all of his mixed feelings, Loki nodded heavily.

"Yes." He answered, glancing up towards his reptilian son, "Just go. Please."

Thor nodded, making his way further up the beach and urging the rest of the Avengers to go along with him.

"You can't just _leave _him out there!" Rogers replied, "That thing is going to kill him!"

Thor's frown deepened.

"But that 'thing', is his son. I have faith in my Brother, that he will handle it as needed."

He glanced back, watching as Loki pushed Sleipnir aside and stepped forward. Closing his eyes, he prayed that his Brother would be all right.

Loki walked forward, each step feeling like a mile as he approached his son.

"If you want to kill me, then go ahead." He replied simply, "Who am I, as your Father, to stop your ambitions?"

Jormungand paused, taken aback by the offer. He knew his Father too well to be lured in by such an offer, but seeing the plain, defeated, outstretched arms of his Father, he wasn't so sure.

"Go ahead. Kill me. Take my birthright to Jotunheim… Odin knows I don't want it." The Trickster assured, "Just stop this madness and go home with your Uncle and your siblings."

Leaning back, Jormungand smirked proudly.

"I'm glad you're seeing it _my _way." He answered, pushing himself higher, to tower of over his father.

This was it! All he had been planning came down to this moment… and to think… it was being handed down to him on a silver platter.

His tongue flickered again, and without hesitation, he shot forward, fangs dripping with venom.

_This is the moment! I'm doing it all for you, Nessa! For __**us! **_

In a flash of black, he felt his fangs clench down on flesh, and he closed his eyes to treasure it for a moment.

Though slowly, the blue returned to his eyes, and Jormungand slowly realized where he was… what he was doing… and he felt _lost_.

The voice he heard next, didn't make it any better.

"Let him go! Let go of my son!"

It was his Father's voice, pleading up at him.

Looking down with horrified eyes, he realized that it wasn't his Father he had grabbed in his venomous grip… it had been his younger brother.

_Sleipnir_…

The realization hit him like a brick wall as he reeled back, horrified.

_No… this isn't what I wanted… I… _

Even his thoughts were jumbled as he changed back into his human form, feeling smaller than ever.

He watched as his other siblings crowded around their Father, who only cradled his youngest son in his arms. There were no jokes in the tears his Father shed as he buried his face into the boy's dapple, grey hair.

"My little boy…"

Thor and his allies returned. They hadn't even made their way back far enough to miss the bloodshed. They saw it all… the cruel, heartless attack from one brother to another.

The thunder god put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to steady the smaller man.

"Brother, I…"

Loki couldn't bring himself to look up at him. He was too focused on the boy that lay in the sand, his head resting in his lap and his torso stained with his own blood.

"Mommy?"

The boy's weak voice broke through the silence, and Loki's eyes widened. He pulled the boy closer, carefully, as he ran another hand through his hair.

"I'm here, dear one." The Trickster answered, "Don't you worry. Mother is here."

The boy smiled.

"That's good. I'm glad you're safe."

Loki blinked back more tears.

"Y-you did a very good job." He answered, "Mommy isn't hurt at all. Just rest… we'll get you back home."

The boy shifted a bit, though the smile never left his face.

"I-I still have your present." he said, "It's in my pocket."

With a trembling hand, Sleipnir went to reach for it, but Loki grabbed his hand.

"Later… wh-when you're better and we're home. Just hold on… hold on so you can give me that gift. P-please." He begged.

Sleipnir nodded like the obedient son he was… but green eyes were beginning to flutter shut.

Loki shook his head, reaching up to touch the boy's face.

"Sl-Sleipnir, please stay with me, child! We'll get you home soon! We'll get you back to Asgard!"

His tone was frantic now.

Fenrir held his Sister tightly, comforting her as she heard her brother's frail tone. Even being a goddess of death didn't make it any easier to deal with.

She prayed her brother would end up in Valhalla… he would die a warrior, which means she wouldn't see him again.

Jormungand was the only one who stood alone. His eyes never left the scene. As his younger brother's eyes closed and his Father collapsed into trembling sobs, it was all he could do. None of the magic, none of the knowledge or ambition he held, would fix it.

He just wanted to return home and forget any of this had happened. Everything had happened so fast, and now it collapsed at his feet, along with his brother.

"Thor… call Father and get us back to Asgard, please." Loki pleaded, looking up at his sibling with raw, glassy eyes.

Thor nodded.

"Of course." He answered, lifting his hammer into the air and summoning the All-Father.

The Avengers could only watch as the group disappeared in a flash of light. If it hadn't been for the blood that stained the beach, or the police sirens wailing in the distance, there wouldn't have been any sign that they were ever there at all.


	13. No Rest for the Wicked

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Thor, The Avengers or any of the characters involved. Nessa is my only OC. Characters not involved with Marvel are associated with Norse Mythology, which also isn't mine.

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Chapter 12: No Rest for the Wicked**_

"_The soul is healed by being with children."_

_~ Fyoder Dostoevsky_

~O~O~O~O~O~

Loki sat, his eyes staring off into space as he held the boy's hand. He lay limply on the Trickster's bed, and thinking was all the mischief god could do. He refused to have his son lying in the Asgardian infirmary. He'd take care of his own son.

Thor stood beside him, a frown lining his golden features as he watched his brother's grief.

"At least he's still breathing, Brother." The Thunderer replied, "There's still hope for him yet."

He tried to offer a smile, but Loki only responded with a trembling breath.

"I suppose… but I share not in yours and Father's optimism."

Thor's expression wilted as he watched the Trickster squeeze his son's hand. He never had been good with words, even when his Brother needed them the most. He hated the useless feeling more than anything else.

His Brother's voice broke him from his reverie.

"Thor… if you wouldn't mind… I'd like to be left alone with my son."

The Thunder god looked at his brother, shocked at first, but it quickly melted to understanding. Without another word, he patted his brother on the shoulder before leaving the room.

Loki sighed, though, hearing a gasp and feeling his son's hand tighten around his, he leaned forward.

Sleipnir looked up at him with tired eyes.

"Mommy?" he asked.

Loki smiled with acknowledgement.

"How'd I do, Mommy?" he asked, sitting up.

The biggest of grins lined the boy's face.

"You did very well. Those lessons in acting paid off." The Trickster praised, "You even had your siblings fooled."

Hearing this, Sleipnir giggled.

"Really?"

Loki nodded honestly.

"Very much so." He answered, "You were quite the little hero, Sleipnir."

The Colt grinned,

"Good! My visit to Midgard was a _lot _of fun! Oh! I still have your present! Can I give it to you _now_?" the boy asked, squirming with anticipation.

He had been waiting _far _too long to give his parent this gift.

Loki chuckled.

"Of course, dear one."

Excitedly, the boy reached under the blanket and into his pocket, pulling out a simple, golden ring. There was nothing spectacular about it, but as Loki laid eyes on it, his pupils dilated with interest.

Sleipnir dropped it into his Mother's palm eagerly.

"Is that the right one?" he asked, "It was in the caves, just like you said it would be!"

Loki stood with a smile.

"Well, there's only one way to find out."

He made his way over to the fireplace, carefully tossing the ring into the flames. He crouched down, his eyes never leaving the austere, gold band. The flames crackled and licked around it, but Loki calmly reached to the side of the fireplace, grabbing the tongs to snatch it out of the fire.

When he was sure it was cool enough to handle, he reached up to grab it in his fingertips. As expected, red letters slowly appeared on the side. They looked as though they were burned into the side, but they still glowed like live embers.

A dark grin passed over Loki's features as his mind began running wild with possibilities.

Finally, this ancient Midgardian ring was his.

Sleipnir looked on, taking notice of his Mother's smile and returning it tenfold.

"I'm glad you're happy, Mommy! I did exactly as you told me!" the colt chirped.

Loki reverently tucked the treasure into his own pocket as he returned to his seat at Sleipnir's bedside.

He reached out to pat the boy's head with the utmost affection and pride.

"I couldn't be any more proud, my son." He replied, "You really made Mommy proud."

Sleipnir melted into the Trickster's touch like a cat, but then reached over to wrap his arms around the man's torso.

Loki returned the hug, but when they broke away, he stood up.

Sleipnir looked at him, a pout suddenly finding the boy's countenance.

"Mommy, how long do I have to stay here? I'm _bored_." He whined.

Loki chuckled.

"Only a few more days, dear one." He answered, "You're almost done with the waiting game. Remember, a good pretender always follows through."

The boy nodded obediently.

"Uh-huh!" he confirmed, "And I wanna be a great pretender like you, Mommy!"

The Trickster chuckled again.

"You're already on your way to being quite a great one." He pointed out, "But stay here. Mommy has business with Uncle Thor and Grandpa Odin."

Sleipnir nodded in understanding.

"Okay, Mommy!" he exclaimed, "Then you can read to me again later?"

The God of Mischief smiled warmly at the simple request.

"Of course, little one." He answered, making his way out the door.

Sleipnir watched him go, burying himself under the blankets once again. He was so glad that his Mommy's plan worked.

Loki closed the door behind him quietly, the smile still dancing on his lips.

That boy really w_as _a wonder… but now he needed to face his other children.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The hard part was only beginning.

~O~O~O~O~O~

As expected, Loki saw his family gathered in the All-Father's golden throne room.

Thor, the All-Father, his Mother, and his three, eldest children were there.

Fenrir stood as a giant wolf, shackled and bound with a thin ribbon. He struggled fiercely against it, yet it refused to break. Glancing around, Loki noticed that Tyr, the God of Victory and Glory in Battle, was absent from the gathering.

Hela remained unbound, but her obvious shame kept her locked in place on the end.

Jormungand, however, stood in the center. He stood as a mock Aesir. His hands and feet were bound, accompanied by a familiar muzzle attached to the front of his face.

Loki winced at the sight of it.

"You wished to see me?" he asked, kneeling in front of the All-Father's throne.

Odin scanned the crowd before him, before landing his gaze on his adopted son. Hundreds had gathered, all of them familiar faces.

"I've come to let you say goodbye to your children." The all-Father stated coldly.

Loki's stomach dropped, yet he stood calmly.

"Finally taking my life away, All-Father?" he asked simply, "I suppose _that's _to be expected with the recent granting of my freedom…"

Odin shook his head.

"Nay. That is not the reason." He answered, "Your children are to be banished to other realms, where they won't cause any more trouble."

Loki's eyes grew wide at the news and he looked over at his children.

"But surely what they've done doesn't warrant banishment!" he pleaded suddenly, "L-let me just speak with them! It'll never happen again! They are but children!"

Thor watched his Brother plead for his children's lives, yet the All-Father remained unmoved. His heart ached for his brother, niece and nephews. He loved those children, yet all those lives lost in Midgard… it was unforgivable.

"Their sins are _far _too great to be looked upon as the misdeeds of children." Odin answered, "They're _monsters_, Loki."

Fiercely, Loki bristled.

"All-Father or not, I don't want you speaking of my children in such a way." He growled darkly, "They are still more of my bloodline than _you _all are!"

"Father! Don't speak to him like that!"

Hela's voice broke through to him.

"He only speaks the truth!" she pleaded.

The Trickster refused to believe it.

"You are my children!" he argued, "No different from any others!"

Hela faltered, seeing the pain in her Father's eyes… but it slowly formed to a gentle firmness.

"Dad… we understand what we did; the mayhem we caused. We… we don't want you to get into any more trouble." She soothed, "Don't worry about us. We're not children any more. We know what we are. We always have."

Fenrir, hearing his sister's words, stopped struggling against his bonds and gave a grunt in agreement, his tail wagging behind him.

Loki bit his lip, green eyes growing weary with bound grief. Hesitating, he turned back to Odin.

"Where are you sending them?" he asked, voice trembling.

It took all of the Trickster's strength to keep his tears at bay.

"Each one will be sent to a different realm." The All-Father commanded, seemingly oblivious to his son's grief.

He turned his attention to the children.

"You understand your sins against the Nine Realms, sons and daughter of Loki?" he asked, standing up. He used his staff to support himself as he hauled himself to his feet.

The trio nodded in unison, their heads remaining lowered.

Loki watched them, before glancing around the throne room. There must have been hundreds of other deities, yet there was no pity for him or his children. The bitterness settled in his gut and slowly, he closed his eyes.

"Fenrir…"

The wolf looked up, limbs trembling in their thin binding as the guards dragged him along the floor. He was unable to walk himself; for fear that he would run and escape.

They dropped him at the foot of the stairs.

Fenrir gazed up with his yellow eyes, awaiting his fate none-too-eagerly.

"You will be banished to the swamps of Vanahiem." Odin announced, "You will remain bound and lost to the Nine Realms. There, you will stay until the end of your days."

The eldest son didn't fight, as he was dragged to the side. He understood what he did, and there was no reason to struggle. With the All-Father's words, the fight was sucked out of him, and he just laid there, surrounded by guards.

Hela was next.

She walked to the stairs, before bowing her head respectfully.

"Hela, you will remain in the realms of Niflheim and Hel. I will allow you travel between them, but no longer will you be allowed to return to any of the other realms." Odin commanded.

The girl nodded, shooting her Father a gentle smile as she took her place next to her Brother's guards.

It was then that Jormungand was led forward.

Loki swallowed. It hadn't been long since he found himself in that same place.

As they boy stood there, his words echoed in his mind.

_This is why I'm ashamed to call you my Father._

He took a shuddering breath, turning his attention back to his second oldest.

The Trickster nearly missed it, but there was a tension in the boy's eyes. It was not caused by stress or sickness, but rather one of continued ambition. Even under the heavy guarding of Asgard's finest, the boy was trying to perform unsuccessful magic. His movements were subtle, but the Trickster's eyes caught them. Loki knew he couldn't do it. The muzzle he wore prevented magic use to be performed.

There was so much desperation in the boy's eyes as the seconds ticked by, and it only grew worse as the All-Father spoke.

"Jormungand, your sins are the worst of all." Odin answered, "Not only did you cause mayhem in Midgard, but you also caused injury to your own _family_. They are not pawns meant to be used for your own enjoyment."

The All-Father paused, allowing his words to sink in, before continuing on.

"Though, seeing your disloyalty to your family, I take it away from you."

The Serpent's eyes widened as his gaze shot upwards.

"I take away your memories, your ambition, knowledge, passion, and the dangerous bloodlust that goes with it. You will live as a dumb creature in the waters of Midgard; alongside the mortals you despise so much."

With every word, Jormungand's shoulders slumped with defeat. The boy managed to cast his Father a glance, tears trailing down his face and gathering at the metal edge of the muzzle that bound his lies and his magic.

Loki turned his head, unable to meet his gaze as he completely missed the scornful, hurt look that shot across his son's expression. This was for his own good. He couldn't allow his own son to marry a Jotun. It would be a mistake for both of them. Besides, if he hadn't known her, this never would've happened. She was a bad influence on the boy.

In a slow movement, Odin stretched out his hand, murmuring an incantation, before the boy slumped to the marble flooring of the throne room, and he was carried off by the guards.

The crowd then watched as one by one, the Trickster's children disappeared in a flash of light; taken away from their Father by the Odinforce.

When they were gone, Loki visibly wilted; his body heavy with obvious mourning.

"A-and what of Sleipnir?" the man's voice asked, "What of my youngest?"

Odin sat back down tiredly on his throne.

"Sleipnir may stay here in Asgard." He stated simply, "He has no sins against Asgard or any of the other realms, therefore he remains unpunished."

Loki nodded before turning on his heel and briskly leaving the throne room.

Once again, he found himself alone. After being locked away in the dungeon, he had come to rely on his children. Seeing their young faces so eager to see him brought the greatest joy he had in a long time. For once, he felt like he did something right. They were of his blood, not adopted, but a true family. He'd always be number one in his eyes; a place he never thought he'd reach in Thor's shadow.

Yet, now they were gone… and Loki Laufeyson was an island of a man again.

Thor watched his Brother go for a few moments, before looking up at his parents.

Frigga's eyes were focused on the door the younger man left through, but when she met Thor's gaze, she nodded.

"Go to him." She mouthed.

The Thunder god did as he was told, leaving the room to find his kin.

The walk to the Mischief God's room wasn't a long one, but when he arrived, he found the door tightly locked.

The Thunderer knocked with a firm fist several times, but received no answer.

"Loki… Brother, please answer the door." He asked with a worried tone, "I only wish to help."

Still, there was no answer.

Thor tried for several more minutes, but remained unanswered.

Biting his lip, he leaned against the door, putting an ear to the thick wood.

There wasn't much he could hear, as the sounds were muffled. However, he heard the soft sobs of his brother coming from the other side.

Thor knocked several more times, before finally giving up. His brother needed to be left alone, but he'd check on him later.

Walking away, hands falling at his sides, Thor realized that once again, he was left with the useless feeling he hated so much.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((Weeks later))

All throughout the Nine Realms, word spread quickly of the children's banishment.

Even in Jotunheim, it brought on amused laughter.

Once again, the House of Odin was plagued by wrongdoers, all from the bloodline of the pesky God of Mischief.

There was, but one soul in Jotunheim who grieved at the news.

Through the fog of chatter that filled the icy Tavern, a young Jotun sat in the corner away from it all. Her sister sat next to her, a comforting arm draped over the younger's shoulder.

"Shh… Nessa. Don't cry." The sister soothed gently.

Sobs shook the girl's form, as she looked desperately at her older sister.

"How can I stop? He's been _banished _by Odin himself!" she cried, "I shall never see him again!"

Reaching out, her older sister embraced her as Nessa buried her face in her shoulder.

They remained like that for several moments, before the girl calmed.

"I don't feel well, Gerör." Nessa managed weakly.

Her sister looked at her, standing up.

"How about we get you home, then?" she asked, offering her hand.

Though, when the girl gave a sickly lurch forward, her knees buckling, Gerör caught her.

"O-okay Nessa. Let's get you back home." She urged.

The girl wrapped a firm arm around her sister's waist, taking her out of the tavern.

Opening the door, the familiar cold hit the two Jotuns and Gerör took in a deep breath. It had been such a long time since she had felt the cold. Her husband, Freyr, moved her to Asgard with him, not revealing her Jotun heritage, as the warmer temperature concealed her blue skin tone. She supposed that she was one of the lucky ones. Some Jotuns were blessed with this trait, while others weren't.

She frowned, trudging through the thick snow and ice, until they came to a small dwelling fashioned out of ice.

Pushing the door aside, Gerör urged Nessa in, taking the girl to her room and laying her on the bed, then covering her with a blanket. As the younger sister shifted to get comfortable, she seemed to sink into the lush polar bear pelt that surrounded her on the bed.

Kneeling next to her younger sister, she ran a gentle hand through her raven, black hair.

"Nessa? A-are you awake?" she asked, her hands trembling as much as her voice.

The younger Jotun shifted under her sister's touch.

"Yes." She murmured, with a sniffle. "I'm sorry, Gerör. It was just so sudden. I-I don't know what came over me."

The older sister smiled gently.

"It's all right, dearest. I understand that you suffer from the sickness of a broken heart." She answered, "I just was worried."

Nessa reached out to grab her Sister's hand.

"As much as I suffer from that ailment, Sister… that is not the cause of my sudden illness." She whimpered.

Gerör's eyes widened.

"What dost thou mean?" she asked, "Y-you're not suffering from something else, are you?"

She pressed a gentle hand against the girl's blue forehead.

"You carry no fever…"

Nessa shook her head tiredly.

"I'm carrying his _child_."

The older Jotun frowned.

"Art thou _sure_?" she asked nervously.

Nessa gave a confirming nod, more tears trailing down her face.

Gerör watched as her sister brought her legs up to her chest underneath the blanket laid on top of her small frame. In her sister's crimson gaze was only unease; about the future, the fate of her lover, and that of her child.

Weakly, Gerör managed a smile.

"Don't cry, Nessa. I'm happy for you!"

She tried to be cheerful, but the younger girl brought a hand to her face, wiping away her own tears.

"B-but how will I be able to care for the child? Jormungand is-!"

Gerör reached out and tenderly grasped her sister's hands in hers.

"Do not fret, my sister. I shall take you back to Asgard with me." She assured, "Freyr and I wouldn't dream of leaving you in such a place alone, e_specially _when you carry a child!"

Nessa looked at her sister, shocked for a moment, before shaking her head.

"You know I'd never fit in there, Gerör. I'm not like you or Loki." She murmured, "I wish not for that kind of rejection."

Her sister frowned.

"You really think the Aesir would be so cold and heartless as to torment a soon-to-be-mother?" she asked, "Because I can assure you that they're _not_."

Nessa hesitated.

"No… but people talk." She answered anxiously, "And my child… what torments would await them? Being the child of a traitor is no easy task to grow up with. My beloved was enough to assure me as such."

Gerör sighed.

"I'll not let anything happen to your child, and neither will Freyr." She assured, "And I'm sure Loki and Thor would prevent such an occurrence. Your child will grow up as any Aesir child, regardless of their skin color. You will be a lady of the Asgardian court. I promise you that."

Nessa grew silent, as her thoughts raced in her mind.

Her sister's words were comforting, and the promises set in front of her were no less than beautiful… yet, without Jormungand, it would still be lonely.

She bit her lip.

Lonely or not, it would be the best for her child… growing up alongside the fierce, future warriors of Asgard.

She closed her eyes, offering a silent prayer to her exiled beloved.

Gerör was right. With this child, she _did _have a part of him… and she needed to treasure that. It was her duty now… her responsibility.

Nessa realized that she could find solace in that.

Her beloved Jormungand was only banished. Somewhere, he _must _search the skies for her. The least she could do, was do the same for him.

Opening her eyes, she looked at her sister and gave a confirming nod.

"I'll go with you." she answered, "I believe it's what he'd wish for me."

Gerör smiled.

"I'm sure you're right, Nessa." She answered, "Now come… Finally, I'll be able to show you the wonders of Asgard."

Nessa moved the blanket aside as she stood; shakily taking her sister's hand.

As the two sisters walked out of their childhood home, Nessa bid it a silent farewell.

She would live a better life amongst the people of her beloved, and her child would stand beside her.

Nessa smiled as she began to picture her future life. Already, she could see it: Her son, bearing a sword fashioned by the dwarves and playing amongst other children, having mock battles in the name of the All-Father.

Yes… she could live with this.

She would make sure their child had a reason to hold their head high.

Traitor or not, she still held Jormungand close to her heart… and she always would.

~O~O~O~O~O~

((A/N: Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and faves! I loves you all! There's just the epilogue to this fic left, and I really want to hug you all before we finish! ))


	14. The Name of God

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own any of this. All characters belong to their respective owners.

_**Good Parenting**_

_**Epilogue: The Name of God**_

"_Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of little children."_

_~ William Makepeace Thackery_

~O~O~O~O~O~

((A Few Years Later))

Thor watched as his brother returned from another visit in the Asgardian stables.

Ever since the banishment of his other children, Loki barely left the steed's side. He'd spend hours reading to his youngest, and watching the television that was generously gifted by friend Stark.

The famed Silver tongue also spoke less these days; tending to stay away from large events to go for a walk or spend his hours in the library.

Though it worried the Thunder god, he was glad to see his brother freed from captivity.

Though, if there was one thing he noticed, it was his daily visits with Heimdall.

He'd ask the Seer about his children's statuses, where they were, what they were doing and thinking. Sometimes it brought unshed tears to the man's eyes, but he'd always manage a plastered smile as he headed back to his room.

"Fenrir remains bound." Heimdall answered, as Loki stood, staring down at the oblivion that nearly took him in the past, "His hunger is unbearable, yet he continues fighting anyway."

Loki nodded, unsurprised with the answer, but with a flash of green eyes, he urged the Sentinel to continue.

"Hela occupies herself with the souls of the dead." Heimdall continued, "She has not the time for such pondering thoughts."

Loki followed the man's golden gaze. As he gave these visions, his eyes never left the jagged edges of the ever-regenerating Bifröst.

"And what of Jormungand?" Loki swallowed.

He would've been lying if he claimed no concern for his middle son.

With no memories or knowledge left to the boy, Loki constantly worried that the Serpent would simply forget to eat and starve to death.

It always left him with a shudder at the thought, so he pushed it away quickly.

Though, something about it was funny. Even though the boy claimed to be ashamed and laid claim to his death, Loki couldn't be angry with him.

Hurt, yes… but never angry.

He couldn't bear to leave his son out of his memories; to disown him, even though the Serpent below was no longer his son.

He just couldn't do it… not when the same happened to him.

"The Serpent spends his days circling the oceans of Midgard… though his eyes glance skyward every so often. He may not remember, but there is a longing there he cannot seem to fill. He searches the skies, but he knows not why." Heimdall stated simply.

"I see…" Loki replied, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Heimdall."

He'd then head back down the Bifröst to return to his place of hiding, wherever that may be.

He knew he lived in disgrace, and he was determined to make the most of it. His grandchild, born of the Jotun his son had affairs with, was growing up to be every bit his grandson… blue skin, reptilian form and all. It had taken getting used to, but Thor grew so attached to the child, he hadn't the heart to refuse grandparent-ship.

_Besides_, he still was the holder of that ring.

Oh yes… seeing the potential in his children… the chaos they caused on their own.

It became a source of twisted pride for the ever-scheming God of Mischief.

With his freedom and magical abilities, he was determined to bring his children together as a family again; Perhaps harnessing the ring's power to build portals in order to link their realms together…

Regardless, a smile broke onto his face as he twirled the ring in his pocket.

As the legend of this 'One Ring' said, it would "_in the darkness bind them_"… and that was his next plan.

He'd bind his family back together, and when all of Asgard saw Loki on the throne as their new king, his children would stand beside him as the royalty they deserved to be.

But all would come in time. If there was one thing Loki knew… it was patience.

Right now, he would treasure the time he had with his youngest; watching the talking horses make rainbows in the sky as they sang songs and ate pie.

It was enough for him at the moment.

Even though millions wouldn't kneel before him, and even though he would never be his brother… he knew of eight eyes that would always look up to him, and worship him as their god.

Loki gave a smile as he sauntered into his room, making his way to the window, and staring out at the Asgardian horizon.

Silently, he gazed upon the realm he was determined to make his.

With a smile that never left his lips, the Trickster realized one thing…

He wouldn't have it any other way.

_**The End**_

((A/N: Thank you all so much for putting up with my story! I hope you enjoyed it, because I had a blast reading it! *Throws confetti all around* ))


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